Have you noticed more patients arriving anxious, convinced they have a rare or fatal illness based on online searches?
You might be seeing cyberchondriasis in action—a form of health anxiety triggered or worsened by the internet.
What it looks like:
1.Patients presenting with vague or shifting symptoms.
2.Excessive referencing of online sources.
3.Reassurance-seeking behavior that repeats across visits.
4. Distrust in clinical assessments despite normal tests.
Why it matters:
This is not simple overreaction—it’s anxiety. And it can interfere with diagnostics, treatment compliance, and doctor-patient trust.
What helps:
Acknowledge their concerns without judgment.
Educate gently about the limitations of online information.
Suggest reliable sources if they will continue reading online.
If needed, refer for psychological support—CBT is effective.
Let’s recognize that cyberchondriasis is real, growing, and treatable—with empathy and the right approach.
Indeed, cyberchondriasis is a real struggle, and it’s more common than we often realize, even within our own families. So many times, instead of asking for advice, a relative calls and starts listing everything they’ve read online.
It’s a reminder of how important it is to listen with empathy and gently guide them back to accurate information.
Absolutely true… People have been searching about their symptoms and come with a conclusion to the doctor’s cabin . This also makes the patient doubt doctor’s capabilities if he comes to another opinion.
100% true. Even I also used to look by searching the diagnosis with the symptoms.
Most of the diagnosis have “Cancer” in it.
This make people to worry about the disease.
For example, if we search severe headache for past 2-3 days, actually it may be due to some tension or stress, but in google it will shown as brain tumour along with it. People will only notice this and increase their headache.
They will come and say to test this, test this and the themselves will end up into a diagnosis. Nowadays this scenarios are happening.
While there is not cure for cyberchondriasis, it can be managed starting with the diagnosis of DSM-5 and then management using CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy), psycho education and in some cases even SSRIs can help… However, it also depends on the thinking aspects of the patient.
Right
With advent of social media and available medical information online, the instances wherein patient google their symptoms and being anxious about their condition has increased
Since most of the information available do not coincide with their situation, they become anxious and nervous and report to our OPDs hazardously
I remember a case wherein a simple case of fever and fatigue, the patient himself diagnosed him as a cancer and came crying to the OPD
This has to be avoided and right information has to be spread across individuals.
Cyberchondriasis is real, growing, and treatable. With empathy, education, and support, clinicians can help patients navigate their anxiety without judgment—and build lasting trust.
