We've all been guilty of doing it at least once. We start to feel sick and instead of calling the doctor, we jump on our computer and search for our symptoms on WebMD. We then use the information we find to self-diagnose ourselves and start on our own path to healing.
The problem is that while WebMD offers a great amount of information on a great variety of diseases, it cannot replace your doctor.
Why we choose WebMD over our doctor
As long as we have an Internet connection, WebMD is right there at our fingertips. In our technology-driven world, we are obsessed with finding out information instantaneously. We can find out what's wrong with us right away, and we can learn more about our illness, our symptoms and how to treat it within a matter of minutes.
WebMD also saves us from scheduling a doctor's appointment. Sometimes we can't see our doctor until the following day, and then we are sitting in a waiting room for hours, sitting in the actual lab room for hours and then waiting days for test results to come back. We have to take time off of work to go to the doctor and we have to waste an entire day just for them to tell us they'll get back to us in a few days with results.
WebMD is also less expensive than visiting the doctor. To visit the doctor, you'll need to pay your co-pay (assuming you have insurance) and you'll also have a giant bill waiting for you when it's all over. Add that to the cost of the prescription you just received, and you now forked over a ton of money to see the doctor. With WebMD, you can determine what's wrong with you for free, and if it's something simple, you can visit your local pharmacy and pick up an over-the-counter medication to alleviate your symptoms.
Why we shouldn't choose WebMD over our doctor
Though instantaneous information is better than waiting, and while spending minutes deciphering our disease is better than wasting a full day at the doctor, and while a few dollars on over-the-counter medication is better than a giant doctor's bill, WebMD cannot replace your doctor.
Too many illnesses have the same symptoms. If you search for fever and headache, you can get results varying from allergies to brain tumor. If you take this information and think you have a brain tumor when you really don't, you will cause yourself to stress out and feel anxious, which will only heighten your symptoms and can actually make you sick. On the other hand, if you assume you have allergies when it really is something more severe, you could miss out on the right treatment.
WebMD is too broad. Instead of relying on a large spectrum of diseases, your doctor can listen to your ailments and run the proper tests to rule out certain diseases and locate what it is that's bothering you. If your doctor finds that you have allergies, he or she will be able to guide you to ensuring you keep your allergies at bay with medication and proper lifestyle changes. If he or she finds that you have something more severe, they will be able to connect you with the right specialists who can properly treat you and get you on the road to recovery.
When you self-diagnose yourself with WebMD, you have to only rely on over-the-counter medications to cure an illness. While these can be effective, doctors can usually prescribe something stronger that can alleviate more symptoms and get you feeling better more quickly.
Misdiagnosing yourself can have severe consequences too. You could end up taking medication for the wrong illness, which can have a negative effect on your body. If something is really wrong and you don't have it checked out, it could also result in serious injury or death.
Instead of being stubborn, it's always better to visit the doctor and have the proper tests run. This way, you will know for sure which illness you're suffering from and you will be able to take the right medication to cure it.
Chelsea Smith is a medical student at the University of Texas with a passion for writing. She loves to write about her interests and often discusses ways to stay healthy in both body and mind.
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