In the age of the internet, medical information is available at the touch of your fingers. An online symptom checker can help you pinpoint the possible causes of your discomfort, often saving you a trip to the doctor or letting you know one is necessary. The important thing to remember when using an online symptom checker is to verify the source of the information before you rely on the medical information provided. While there are reputable health sites such as Livestrong and the Mayo Clinic (see Resources) which provide reliable symptom information, there are also thousands of websites that may be less than trustworthy.
Step 1
Log on to your favorite online medical site such as Livestrong or The Mayo Clinic and click on "Symptom Checker."
Step 2
Click on the area of the body that defines your symptoms. For example, Livestrong shows an interactive outline of the body; for shoulder pain you would click on the arm and then specify the shoulder area problem. The Mayo Clinic symptom checker is defined by the alphabet, so you would click on "S" for shoulder and then scroll to the phrase "Shoulder Pain" and click again.
Step 3
Look for the source of the information provided. Typically this will be found on the left or bottom of the screen, and will be a link such as "References,""See additional information," "Disclaimer," a statement that begins with "We comply with" or "About Us."
Step 4
Check whether the medical information on the site has been approved by a reputable accrediting organization. For example, Livestrong information has been accredited by the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (URAC); the Mayo Clinic website shows it to be certified by the Health on the Net Foundation. If no certification is provided, you should go to a different website that will be more certainly trustworthy.
Step 5
Tab through the information on your symptoms once you've verified the source. Typically, this is achieved through a series of links on the left side of a site which give further information on your symptoms such as definitions, causes, symptoms, when to seek medical attention and treatments available.
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