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"New research shows that looking up health symptoms online might make some people feel worse.Medical Daily reported that a study published in the journal \"Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking\" showed that Internet symptom checkers could give rise to \"cyberchondria,\" a new type of hypochondria.Researchers said that people already anxious about their health could be subject to more stress after checking out their symptoms online. The Internet can provide a host of causes for any symptom, leading some people to fear the worst.Lead author Thomas Fergus of Baylor University said this uncertainty can feed on itself, leading to a cycle that perpetuates anxiety as people discover new conditions associated with their perceived symptoms.Researchers said one reason for the rise in cyberchondria is the misconception that online symptom checkers give users the proper tools to medically diagnose themselves. A doctor can bring years of experience to bear and apply that to the patient's history and whether various symptoms are truly interconnected."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.wmur.com/article/study-online-symptom-checkers-can-increase-stress/5185169>