hy·per·goo·glee·oh·ma [hahy-per-goo-glee-oh-muh]
Hypergooglioma is the technical term for a type of Hypochondria that is inflated by using Google to find your ailment. Often times, Googling symptoms will lead a person to believe that they are much sicker than they really are.
What Causes Hypergooglioma?
A number of things can cause Hypergooglioma :
- Using vague and common search terms for symptoms.
- Over analyzing results found on Google and believing that you also have symptoms that you do not have.
- Repeated queries using terms found in previous Google searches.
- Only reading parts of articles related to your symptoms.
What are the Symptoms of Hypergooglioma?
The signs and symptoms include the following:
- Irrational belief that you have a serious disease.
- Constant worrying that you will die from a disease you found online.
- Confusion.
- Nervousness.
Part of managing your Hypergooglioma is to read each online article objectively and be sure to understand that what you are reading is based on generalized information. While you may have a dull pain in your head, it does not mean you have a brain tumor. Regular visits to real doctors can easy your worry, so be sure to make appointments if you are seriously concerned about symptoms you may have. Also, talk to your doctor about scheduling regular wellness checkups.
How Do I Treat Hypergooglioma?
The best treatment for Hypergooglioma is to eliminate Google searches from your self evaluation. While the alternative medicine is viewed as the best treatment in certain parts of the world, realize that you may only be doing more harm by using them (e.g., Bing).
What if it Goes Untreated?
Hypergooglioma can be a serious problem if you don't treat it, so it's important to treat as soon as you detect it. If you fail to treat your condition you may only worsen the actual disease that you may have.
Talk to your doctor about how to handle this condition.
