What are the dangers of self-diagnosis?

About this episode

The chances are that at some point you’ve scoured the internet in an attempt to figure out why you’re feeling sick. Maybe you go to Dr Google as a matter of habit any time you’re in discomfort or pain. Indeed, back in 2019, Google Heatlh Vice President David Feinberg told the Telegraph that 7% of all Google searches related to health, adding up to an incredible 70,000 every minute. But there are dangers to self-diagnosing. A lot of people rely heavily on social media, online forums, or even AI tools like ChatGPT as their primary sources for self-diagnosis. But there are various reasons why people choose to search for health-related information online. For example, it's free and can be done around the clock without needing to book an appointment. Isn’t it obvious that seeing a doctor is a better idea than doing that? Could someone miss a serious medical condition due to incorrect self-diagnosis? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here: How does daylight saving affect your health? How can I sleep well with a blocked nose? Why is Disney becoming unpopular? A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance. First broadcast : 27/10/2023 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices