Opinion: Cyberchrondria, when Dr Google makes you paranoid

Online health information empowers individuals but can also cause information overload, confusion and anxiety, writes Gary Martin.

If a simple sneeze sends you spiralling down an online rabbit hole of rare respiratory afflictions, then you might have caught one of the increasingly common digital diseases to take hold of our hyper-connected society.

Cyberchondria, a fusion of the words “cyber” and “hypochondria”, refers to the practice of jumping to the worst possible conclusion while researching health symptoms online.

The rise of cyberchondria has resulted in more and more of us caught up in diagnostic dilemmas immersed in the digital domain.

Online health information is a double-edged sword.

It empowers individuals with knowledge to make informed decisions and seek care when but it can also cause information overload, confusion, anxiety, and increase the risk of misdiagnosis.

At the heart of the problem is that self-diagnosis by search engine leads us to assume the very worst about our medical condition.

Most of us have experienced heightened anxiety as a result of web-driven diagnoses, where the most benign symptoms are just a few clicks ways from catastrophic health concerns.

Consider how a slight stomach ache sends an individual diving deep into an online sea of serious gastrointestinal disorders.

The random rash has a returned traveller surfing through waves of exotic skin conditions online.

A simple itch sends someone scratching around the darkest corners of the internet for deadly infectious diseases.

Momentary muscle twitches send a person hurtling through a digital tunnel of terrifying neurological diseases.

When this type of digital exploration morphs into a relentless quest for validation and overshadows daily life like a browser hijack, it is time we acknowledge the potential grip of cyberchondria on our wellbeing.

Our habit of self-diagnosing online blurs the line between self-care and paranoia, complicating matters for healthcare professionals.

Patients armed with internet information may harm the trust crucial for doctor-patient relations.

It’s crucial to acknowledge the risks of unchecked online health searches and restore a balanced approach to self-care to prevent cyberchondria from spreading in society.

In this age of information overload, let us immunise ourselves against cyberchondria’s toxic influence.

Professor Gary Martin is a workplace and social trends specialist