The dangers of googling your medical symptoms

It was a night like any other. My husband put our eldest son to bed while I nursed our one-year-old in our bedroom. Suddenly, the baby in my arms started vomiting violently. I cried out to my husband, let him hold our son, and then did what many parents do these days: I grabbed my phone to google his symptoms in the hopes of finding the cause.

The search results were both comforting and horrific. According to Google, the symptoms could merely be a result of a food allergy or milk intolerance, but it could also be appendicitis, pneumonia, or even meningitis.

After a sleepless night watching over him, the next day the doctor reassured us that it was just a mild stomach bug. Our fears subsided. But for cyberchondriacs, it often doesn’t end there, says Theresa Haarhoff-Petersen, a psychologist at Beethoven Recovery Centre in Hartbeespoort.

What is cyberchondria?

Cyberchondria is a play on the medical term hypochondria. People who suffer from this condition are convinced they are sick with an illness they don’t have. Oxford Academic defines cyberchondria as “excessive or repeated online searches for health-related information, driven by distress or anxiety about health”.

Why can it be dangerous to google your medical symptoms?

According to Theresa, people often can’t google symptoms within moderation. “People may ‘over diagnose’ themselves or diagnose themselves incorrectly and then try to treat themselves according to that diagnosis without visiting the doctor. This could actually make the symptoms and the disease worse,” she says.

What is the underlying medical cause?

Cyberchondria is rooted in anxiety disorders such as generalised anxiety disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), says Dr Marlene Viljoen, a psychiatrist in Hartbeespoort. “People with one or more of these conditions can already be obsessive about googling their symptoms and making a self-diagnosis. This can make them more anxious, expecting the worst and thinking alarming thoughts.

"If it doesn’t get treated, it could worsen anxiety-depressive symptoms and negatively affect the person’s quality of life.”

Why do people do it?

A lot of people want to give a socially acceptable name to what they experience, Theresa says. “With mental health, people often feel pain they can’t show on the outside. Once they can pin it on a physical condition – such as diabetes or heart disease – they feel better, since this is acceptable to society. They can then avoid the stigma surrounding mental illness.”

How common is googling your symptoms?

No definitive studies have been done in South Africa, but a 2015 research review found that 90% of people in the United States (US) have used the internet to search for health-related information. A 2013 study reports that one in three US adults have gone online to try and diagnose a medical condition.

Theresa thinks it’s going to become even more prevalent. “The more stress people are exposed to, the more unanswered questions people have, and the more they will look for answers.”

How can a person manage cyberchondria?

Treat the underlying anxiety disorder, says Marlene. Combining medication and cognitive behavioural therapy (a talking therapy that can help you manage your problems by changing the way you think and behave) can be the most effective way of managing the condition.

If you suspect you might get a cyberchondriac attack, don’t go down the rabbit hole of incessant searching. Rather see a healthcare professional who can make the correct diagnosis. They should be the last authority on the matter – not ‘Dr Google’.