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HANNIBAL, MO. -- Have you ever felt crummy, had some pain, maybe noticed something off about your body and decided to look up your ailment on line?   Next thing you know, you’ve talked yourself into a diagnosis of a range of deadly diseases or conditions.

It’s like a placebo effect.  Maybe you go to a website and list a symptom like tiredness, and then you’re convinced you have leukemia, when in fact you’re low on iron.  Or maybe you’re just not getting enough sleep. 

I’ve been guilty myself.  After some rudimentary research, I went to the doctor and listed my symptoms, practically word for word from a website.  The physician looked at me and said, “You’ve been looking stuff up on the internet.”  It felt almost like an accusation.  Guilty.  To my credit, I diagnosed myself with the right condition. 

On-line medical information has revolutionized the general public’s knowledge about health.  Tens of thousands of sites can tell you about medicines, treatments, preventative care and disease. 

“There have always been people who are interested in educating themselves about healthcare, but the internet makes it so much easier to get that information,” says Dr. Lent Johnson at the Hannibal Clinic.  It sure beats looking up convoluted articles in medical journals at the library.

“I honestly think some doctors grumble about information on the internet, but all in all, it’s good to have an informed patient,” says Dr. Johnson.

The key is to stick to reputable sites.  Dr. Johnson recommends sites like the National Institutes of Health, WebMD, and the American Medical Association.  You can also get reliable information from outstanding institutions like the Mayo Clinic or Johns Hopkins.  If you visit a hospital’s site, they’ll often provide links to sites with good information.

Does making yourself more informed lead to more paranoia about possible medical conditions?  It’s hard to say.  Dr. Johnson points out that there’s a small segment of the population that has always had a tendency toward hypochondria.  He says that’s a personality issue that’s present regardless of the information on the internet.  He says the real problem arises when a person makes a self-diagnosis and tries “treatments” they find on the internet.  As always, the best bet:  ask your doctor.

Take care ~Sarah