Deepa Lakshmi

Most of us do it—if not for ourselves, for someone we care about. We Google symptoms and self-diagnose before we decide whether or not to see a physician. In fact, Pew reports that 72 percent of Internet users search for health-related information online. Think about it: how many times have you arrived for a doctor appointment prepared with a list of possible reasons for your ailment? But there’s a big problem with this sort of practice. Not all results are credible, which can make matters more complicated by causing panic for no real reason. While the Internet is great for several types of research, replacing a professional diagnosis isn’t one of them.