The era of the Internet and sites such as WebMD have opened up a serious and dangerous problem for people. Everyone’s trying to be their own doctor, looking up symptoms online and self-medicating. By looking up symptoms online, we often confuse many diseases with others, believing it’s nothing serious. Or it’s the other way around, and we stress over something that can be easily resolved.
Messing with our health that way is a dangerous problem that can have fatal consequences. We should be very careful with our health and stop the practice of ‘medicating’ with online comments. Below you can see a few health conditions people often confuse with others just because of the symptoms.
Meningitis, Tuberculosis, and Regular Colds
We all know what a regular seasonal cold is. Its symptoms can range from mild to severe and sometimes mimic the symptoms of meningitis. It’s a serious inflammation of the brain that can lead to brain damage if left untreated. Unfortunately, by reading unsubstantiated medical advice online, many people confuse the symptoms of colds with meningitis, including headache, muscle aches, fever, and cold hands.
If your neck is stiff, you have convulsions, and you’re sensitive to bright lights, you need to visit a doctor. Those are not the symptoms of a common cold. A similar confusion is often observed when it comes to the symptoms of common colds and tuberculosis.
Heart Attack and Chest Pain
Chest pain is a sign of an impending heart attack, but not always. Sometimes, it’s a simple muscle issue, and that’s where people confuse things. The differences between chest pain and a heart attack is that the latter will also come with accelerated breathing. Headaches, shakes, and losing control of your limbs are also symptoms of a heart attack you shouldn’t ignore.
Mastitis and Breast Cancer
Mastitis is an inflammation of the breast tissue that is typically caused by an infection. The symptoms include swelling, rashes, and redness, which are all too alike with breast cancer. By looking up advice online and not visiting a doctor, many women confuse the two. Breast cancer is a highly dangerous disease that requires immediate medical assistance.
If you’re experienced these symptoms, go to a doctor instead of reading advice online.
Ovarian Cysts and Appendicitis
Both conditions are quite serious and usually require a surgical procedure. Unfortunately, the symptoms are pretty common, and that’s why they need to be checked by a doctor. They include pain in the right side of the abdomen as well as fever, vomiting, and a few other symptoms. Instead of reading advice online, it would be best to go to a doctor before things take a turn for the worse.
Lupus and Other Diseases
Lupus is an autoimmune condition that mimics the symptoms of many other diseases. Confusing it with another harmless condition can have fatal consequences. The sudden pain in muscles and joints is a sign of lupus, but also a sign of other diseases and conditions. That’s why a doctor needs to check the symptoms as lupus can cause serious health problems.
