HEALTH: PAGING DR GOOGLE.

Online self-diagnosis can turn the common cold into chronic “cyberchondria”, writes James Andrews.

It began with a cold sweat at three in the morning; too little to call a fever, but enough to wake me. Then, long after the morning alarm had rung, I was plagued by a fatigue, which carried through into the afternoon. By the evening, I noticed a slight cough and sore throat. By dinner, I was dizzy, and by bedtime, I’d diagnosed myself with coronavirus and called my loved ones.

With hindsight it’s quite clear I wasn’t suffering from a virus, nor even a cold. Instead, I had an acute case of tiredness paired with chronic cyberchondria – a term coined by medical professionals for people who compulsively search the internet for information about (usually imagined) symptoms of illness.

There are more cyberchondriacs than you’d think. A recent survey of 1,511 Australians revealed that almost three-quarters had consulted Dr Google at least once in their lives, while half admitted to weekly consultations.

It’s not difficult to understand why. The internet has opened up a Pandora’s box of medical knowledge previously only accessible to doctors. Armed with an iPhone and an evening in, one has the ability (and motivation) to spend hours meticulously researching and refining, until the exact symptom list you created throughout the day appears on the screen (albeit, under an unnerving Latin name). And while our GPs may have forgotten about many of the more idiosyncratic ailments they pored over at university, Dr Google is immune to such amnesia.

One of the internet’s greatest merits lies in its convenience. Health is scary, ill health scarier. Faced with a slurry of symptoms, and a sleepless night worrying about them, it is undeniably cathartic to reach for the phone and immediately diagnose a cause. Given the next available GP appointment may be days away, it’s hard to deny the appeal of an “early diagnosis”; even harder if you’ve correctly selfdiagnosed in the past.

But, armed with so much information, it’s all too easy to settle on a misdiagnosis. In my case, a few nights of poor sleep and a read through the news led to a self-misdiagnosis of coronavirus but, I discovered, that diabetes, testicular cysts and chronic anaemia are also possible causes of my complaint. The issue of such misdiagnosis is exacerbated if your GP has to subsequently spend valuable time convincing you away from your diagnosis towards their own.

Further risks include misdiagnosing a common cold as something serious, or worse, misdiagnosing something serious as a common cold.

This is not to say that the internet has no place in the consultation room. Websites dedicated to supporting sufferers of HIV, AIDS and cancer can provide immeasurable support. Facebook groups, Instagram pages and Twitter accounts are also spaces for people to share their experiences, support others, and tackle the stigma attached to certain diseases.

While Dr Google is undeniably accessible and astute, it is also perilously fraught.

Seeing a GP is always recommended but below are some reputable sources of health info for men.

I noticed a slight cough… By dinner, I’d diagnosed myself with coronavirus and called my loved ones.