The Cons of Self-Diagnosis Online

Self-diagnosing a condition online is easy to do when dozens of websites can diagnose your ailment based on a computerized checklist. Many websites even offer legal prescription drugs after only an online consultation and no physical exam. Unfortunately, this process can increase your chances of dangerous treatment and health risks. Arming yourself with information and possible conditions is helpful, but it's always wise to see your physician for a final diagnosis.

Similar Symptoms

• Many symptoms, such as a headache and a stomachache, apply to many conditions, and attempting diagnosis online based on these common symptoms is dangerous. A headache, for example, could be due to something relatively benign, like a migraine or a sinus infection. You could also have a headache from a brain tumor. Only your doctor would be able to ask the appropriate follow-up questions or order the necessary tests and scans to determine the actual source of your pain.

Stages of Illness

• Online symptom checklists don't consider that different stages of a disease present different symptoms. This could lead to an incorrect, potentially less severe, diagnosis, convincing you that a doctor's visit isn't necessary. A stomachache and vomiting, for instance, could be a viral bug or the flu. It could also be the early stages of stomach cancer, and by the time other symptoms are present, your options are limited. An online diagnostic tool can't conduct a comprehensive review of your medical history and genetics necessary to make an accurate diagnosis.

Lifestyle Considerations

• Your lifestyle and medical history play an important role in your health and cannot be accessed by an online diagnostic website. Stomach pains should always be taken seriously, but if you're overweight, have high blood pressure or smoke, the situation becomes especially urgent. Only your doctor would know about your lifestyle risk factors and could order an EKG or other tests as necessary.