MANY thanks to Kashmir Observer for publishing a very useful and informative article on the dangers of ‘self-medication’ online. (“The rise of ‘Dr. Google”, Aug. 24). Living in the e-world, naturally the internet is an endless source for information. And for many of us, it is our ‘first go-to’ for just about everything we want to know. It is also a tempting tool for medical self-diagnosis, but which one should be extremely careful of. For their illness, the temptation of people to treat themselves through online medication is totally wrong and highly dangerous.
When you self-diagnose, you are essentially assuming that you know the subtleties that diagnosis constitutes. This can be fatal as people who assume that they can surmise what is going on with themselves may miss the nuances of diagnosis. Says eminent Radiation Oncologist Sean Vance: “The wealth of medical information we have at our fingertips can be empowering. But we need to be really choosy about the sources we are using, especially when searching topics like cancer, stroke and heart attack.” The problem with seeking medical advice through the internet is that you could end up being provided with completely incorrect information, which could become an added detriment to your health.
Ranganathan Sivakumar
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