Great Health
W
hen it comes to health, Dr Google gets a good work out! It’s so simple to just type, ‘Is it normal…?’, followed by whatever symptom it is that you might have. Even though the internet is a fabulous resource to increase health knowledge, the sources of information vary in quality and unfortunately there is no context to the question. So, can you trust Dr Google?
When defining the question, ‘Is it normal?’, it refers to the usual/typical or expected state or condition. But the spectrum of what is expected to be normal or typical among people is very wide, especially through the broad age range of life. Also, people tend to substitute this question for what they actually mean, e.g. ‘Should I worry about …’, or ‘Is there anything bad going on?’.
about. Also, something that is normal or not worrying in younger populations can be abnormal or worrying in older populations.
A doctor makes a conclusion using complex clinical reasoning skills & experience.
When it comes to assessing your health, doctors use complex clinical reasoning skills and their experience to reach conclusions about the normal state of the body and any possible multiple diseases that may relate to a patient. Therefore, it is not as simple as typing in the symptoms and requesting a yes/no answer. The reasons for various answers must be carefully considered because people often mean different things by their question and a doctor must make a conclusion, using the context of the patient’s age, background health, risks such as smoking, their medications and a host of other factors.
CAN TRUSTING DR GOOGLE, GIVE FALSE REASSURANCE?
So, something that is NOT normal for the rest of the population can still be nothing for an individual to worry
Rather than seeking false reassurance from the internet, it’s easier to be aware that unusual changes in your body or your
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