Could self diagnosis be costing lives?

The British Dental Health Foundation believes an over reliance on websites, particularly online symptom checkers, could lead to delays in the diagnosis and treatment of life threatening diseases such as mouth cancer.

Four in ten people questioned by the charity say they prefer turning to the internet to investigate their symptoms, while less than one in three (31 per cent) would see their doctor or dentist first.

Nigel Carter OBE, chief executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, said: “The internet can undoubtedly be a fantastic source for information but it would be highly ill advised to place too much reliance on what we read online. Incorrect advice, biased agendas, invalid sources and our own misinterpretation regarding what we read and search for could lead to potentially dangerous results.

“I went on a well known online diagnostic website today and searched for ‘white patches in the mouth’, one of the major symptoms of mouth cancer. The only diagnosis it suggested was for thrush.