Don't have time to make a appointment with your doctor? Have a strange...growth that you're a bit embarrassed to show off in public? Have a fear of cold metal implements and the associated prodding and poking? Try internet self-diagnosis. Google your symptoms and, within a few minutes, you can have a full health assessment.
Three years ago, during the summer, I was completely out of commission, for the entire month of June (or July, I'm not sure) from an unknown illness. It turns out I was suffering from drug allergies and associated reactions. But at the time no one could figure out what was going on. Kate and I searched the internet for answers. It didn't singlehandedly solve the mystery, but it helped eliminate some of the more severe causes.
I'm not recommending internet self-diagnosis as a standalone diagnostic tool. The web is hardly foolproof. If something is wrong with you, see a doctor. But access to doctors isn't a given for everyone. Without health insurance, a lot of people have to go without proper care. For some people, internet self-diagnosis is the next best thing. At least as a second opinion to free clinics.
What got me thinking about this topic wasn't a health issue, but it's very similar, and illustrates the power of the internet as a means of diagnosis. We've been finding what I was pretty sure were stink bugs sporadically on our second floor. We're in the middle of some work upstairs, so there are small holes in the ceiling. This is where I assumed our pests were getting in. I went online, entered our homes "symptoms" and in pretty short order had a diagnosis. They are stink bugs, which, during cold winters, sometimes invade homes for warm places to hibernate. I know now what's going on, how it's happening, and how to prevent it in the future.
Replace "house" with "you" and "stink bugs" with whatever it is that's bothering you, and Google your way to health.
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