In the Internet age more and more people are turning to the World Wide Web, rather than their family doctor first when it comes to researching and learning about various diseases and conditions. This can be both a good and bad thing, but at a time when co payments and deductibles are getting higher every day, and millions are uninsured for many Americans starting out their research at home seems to make sense, economically at the very least.

Several websites have grown up over the last few years that even doctors themselves consider a good source of initial information about all kinds of diseases and conditions. In a time where the average doctor is limited to spending just 15 minutes with an individual at most, in order for his or her practice to make money, medical professionals often find themselves directing their patients to Internet to learn more about a disease or condition with which they have been recently diagnosed.

However this patient internet surfing can be a double edged sword for doctors. Some people read something on the Internet about certain diseases and conditions and convince themselves that they have some dire problem based on a few correlating symptoms they read online and take themselves directly to the emergency room rather than making a general appointment to have their symptoms properly diagnosed. Or alternately, they dismiss a serious problem because they misinterpret information they see online.

For instance, if you use the symptom checker on one of the biggest medical information web sites, one which most medical professionals do consider a decent source of information, and enter the term diarrhea, you will be faced with a list of 20 possible diseases and conditions, everything from a stomach virus to colon cancer.

If a patient does head to the Internet first to check their symptoms when feeling unwell they would be wise to note the fine print that is located at the bottom of most of these sites pages. For instance on that big site previously mentioned it reads “This tool does not provide medical advice It is intended for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Never ignore professional medical advice in seeking treatment because of something you have read on the Site.” Wise words indeed and well worth bearing in mind when researching diseases and conditions online.

There are thousands of recognized diseases and conditions in the world of medicine and although the Internet is a handy tool, it is a fact that only a face to face meeting with a real live medical professional will ever really be able to diagnose an individual’s specific problem, however far technology proceeds.