The Internet and Medical Advice: Not Always Ideal

by | Oct 11, 2013 | Health And fitness

Many people have decided that the internet is their first source for medical information. While it’s definitely an advantageous tool that puts information in front of you like never before, it’s certainly no substitute for expert medical advice particularly in critical situations. While you may want to use a computer or smartphone look up symptoms, to find out whether or not certain medications might interact, or to find out home remedies for various ailments, it’s important to be careful about taking online medical advice as fact and to know when it’s wise to see a family doctor. The internet is a haven for free speech and as such you can’t always rely on the information you find there.

Get Valuable Medical Info Online

Some people look to the web for information because they don’t have medical insurance. Or, they don’t have a local family doctor they are comfortable with. The internet can certainly help you in these regards. You can find out about low cost insurance options and you can also find out about local available medical offices. Palm Beach Gardens residents and visitors who search for a medical office in the Palm Beach Gardens area, for instance, will find a map on Google with a variety of red balloons indicating local medical offices in Palm Beach Gardens and they’ll find a list of addresses associated with those red balloons.

Medical Reviews

In some cases they’ll also see Google reviews listed under those addresses, which can be helpful because if you see several options for medical offices in an area and you aren’t sure which one is the best one, these reviews could help put your mind at ease and /or help you eliminate certain doctors from your list of places to call for an appointment.

In addition to seeing what’s available in a certain geographical area you can find out about various specialities. Some medical offices are focused on family medicine. Some also offer lab services in-house. Others have additional specialities like weight loss or list that they have vast experience in helping diabetics.

Yes, the internet can help you gain medical information but it’s best served as a part of the equation rather than the only place you go to for medical help.

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