Cyberchondria: Aperil in Our Nation
Syeda SA12*
1Department of Pharmacy, Jinnah University for Women, Pakistan
2Department of Pharmacy, University of Karachi, Pakistan
Submission: April 24, 2017; Published: May 30, 2017
*Corresponding author: Syeda Sarah Abbas, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jinnah University for Women, Pakistan, Email:safilall7@yahoo.com, syedasarahabbas@yahoo.com
How to cite this article: Syeda SA. Cyberchondria: Aperil in Our nation. Glob J Pharmaceu Sci 2(4) : 555591 (2017). DOI: 10.19080/GJPPS.2017.02.555591
Abstract
Cyberchondria is when a person who compulsively searches the Internet for information about particular real or imagined symptoms of illness. As now everybody seems to be terribly health-conscious these days, it's no bombshell that many people are becoming cyberchondriacs. This is the high time to recognize and raise awareness about this psyche disorder which almost people at every walk of life suffers. The main purpose to establish this study is to provide and create awareness among the different group of individuals in our society.
Keywords: Cyberchondria; Net Search; Symptoms; Illness; Anxiety; Cyberchondriacs
Introduction
Persons recurrently use the Internet to investigate for medical information. However, for some individuals, searching for medical information on the Internet is linked with an exaggeration of health anxiety. Researchers have termed this observable fact as Cyberchondria [1]. The Internet may appear to offer valuable medical information and spontaneous diagnostic websites can endow with information regarding symptoms that are pertaining to the user. Conversely, 'the Web has the potential to augment anxieties of citizens who have diminutive or no medical instruction, particularly when web search is employed as a diagnostic procedure [2]. These findings are relevant for healthcare professionals, particularly regarding patient care and supervision, the Internet's capacity as an omnipresent delivery mechanism for medical search, coupled with known propensity to escalate online, makes a sturdy case for further study of this subject [3]. Cyberchondra is a problem of excessive preoccupation with health. Persons who start feeling the illness depicted by symptoms felt and the diseases tracked through symptom search in net. Considered opinions of doctors also may not satisfy these Cyberchondriacs. This subject needs to describe and find a way to reduce its effect on individuals by simply build awareness regarding this problem and help them out from this psychological distress as this could be the main cause of anxiety and depression.
Results and Discussion
Cyberchondria has more reach, simply for the reason that most people these days have admittance to the Internet, either by means of computer or Smartphone. The World Wide Web provides a plentiful foundation of medical information. This information can aid people who are not healthcare professionals to enhanced comprehend health and disease state, and to make available them with feasible explanations for symptoms. Yet, the Web has the potential to boost the anxieties of people who have little or no medical knowledge, especially when Web search is engaged as a diagnostic method. Results show that Web search engines have the impending to shoot up medical concerns [3]. So we can simply narrate that Cyberchondria has the potential to spread threaten amongst the peoples and may cause severe state of fear which could lead to anxiety and its related mental disorders. We can overcome this predicament by creating awareness and proper usage of web search engines.
References
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