Diagnosing Yourself 

What does self diagnosis mean?

Self-diagnosis is the process of finding or diagnosing one's own medical issues. Medical dictionaries, books, online resources, past experiences, or identifying symptoms or physical signs of a condition a family member had had may all be helpful. 

Is self diagnosing yourself safe?

The safety of self-diagnoses might vary significantly depending on the nature of the patient's disease and the veracity of the information accessed. Due to the variable accuracy of self-diagnoses, public opinions toward them range from denials of their legitimacy to praise for their capacity to advance healthcare access and enable people to find solidarity and support. Additionally, external factors like marketing, social media fads, the stigma associated with diseases in society, and the demographic group one belongs to all have a significant impact on the usage of self-diagnosis.

Is self diagnosis accurate?

Self-diagnosis is prone to inaccuracy and may be dangerous if the wrong choices are made; these errors can result from using the wrong symptoms or from applying them incorrectly, as well as from confirmation bias. Self-diagnosis is officially discouraged by doctors and patient care groups due to the risks. Self-diagnosis is discouraged among doctors as well because it may compromise their objectivity. 

An incorrect self-diagnosis, often known as a misdiagnosis, can lead to subpar medical care, such as utilizing the incorrect medicine or putting off getting treatment for a dangerous ailment that was underdiagnosed.   Further issues include undermining doctor authority, having a biased opinion of oneself, exaggerating symptoms, or adopting a denial-based approach to symptoms.

If you want to self diagnose yourself for symptoms and diseases you can use this Symptom Checker Tool to find out what’s causing your symptoms.

What symptoms or disease can I self diagnose?

Adult Symptoms:

• Abdominal pain in adults
• Blood in stool in adults
• Chest pain in adults
• Constipation in adults
• Cough in adults
• Diarrhea in adults
• Difficulty swallowing in adults
• Dizziness in adults
• Eye discomfort and redness in adults
• Eye problems in adults
• Foot pain or ankle pain in adults
• Foot swelling or leg swelling in adults
• Headaches in adults
• Heart palpitations in adults
• Hip pain in adults
• Knee pain in adults
• Low back pain in adults
• Nasal congestion in adults
• Nausea or vomiting in adults
• Neck pain in adults
• Numbness or tingling in hands in adults
• Pelvic pain in adult females
• Pelvic pain in adult males
• Shortness of breath in adults
• Shoulder pain in adults
• Sore throat in adults
• Urinary problems in adults
• Wheezing in adults

Child Symptoms

• Abdominal pain in children
• Constipation in children
• Cough in children
• Diarrhea in children
• Ear problems in children
• Earache in children
• Eye discomfort and redness in children
• Eye problems in children
• Fever in children
• Headaches in children
• Joint pain or muscle pain in children
• Nasal congestion in children
• Nausea or vomiting in children
• Skin rashes in children
• Sore throat in children
• Urinary problems in children
• Wheezing in children

Before you diagnose yourself you may want to seek professional medical advice from your doctor.

Learn more about Disease, Infection & Viruses!