Health and Care
Swansea’s most commonly searched-for health conditions revealed
Do you suffer from Cyberchondria? Residents of Swansea rank amongst top 50 in UK for Googling their health symptoms.
We reveal the cities that use Dr. Google most to self-diagnose
Durham is officially the city where residents are most likely to turn to Google to self-diagnose, according to new research. Chester and Glasgow follow ranking 2nd and 3rd respectively.
Residents of Swansea rank 43rd in the UK for Googling their health symptoms. Each month, residents make on average 6440 health related searches, but the real number is likely much higher.
The conditions resident of Swansea are most likely to search the symptoms of on Google are diabetes, anxiety, depression, flu and high blood pressure. This suggests these conditions are the ones residents are most worried they’re showing symptoms of.
The study, conducted by online contact lens retailer Lenstore, analysed terms used to search for the symptoms of over 70 health conditions to determine where in the UK people are likely to be struggling with Cyberchondria.
Cyberchondria is a term used to describe a person’s anxiety about their health created or exacerbated by using the internet to search for medical information. In the UK, people are now 114% more likely to search health-related terms online than three years ago.
The 20 UK Cities That Use Dr. Google Most to Self-Diagnose
Searches were compared per capita and the table below shows the top 20 cities where residents Google their health symptoms.
City Total Avg. SV of self diagnosis terms Self-Diagnosis Ranking Durham 10170 1 Chester 16990 2 Glasgow 211,140 3 Worcester 12310 4 Ely 2130 5 Truro 2140 6 Chichester 2350 7 Stirling 2680 8 Salisbury 3080 9 Perth 2790 10 Lancaster 2750 11 Ripon 960 12 Inverness 2590 13 Lichfield 1810 14 Hereford 3320 15 Canterbury 3010 16 Winchester 2410 17 Salford 3770 18 Wakefield 3640 19 Lincoln 5000 20
For the full ranking, visit: https://www.lenstore.co.uk/eyecare/uk-cyberchondria-capitals.
The health conditions we’re most worried about, according to search data
The analysis revealed diabetes is the condition we’re checking for the most in the UK, followed by mental health related conditions such as anxiety and depression.
The flu, lung cancer, chlamydia and high blood pressure are all in equal fourth place, with an average monthly search volume of 60,500.
When it comes to eye-related health conditions, we’re most worried about the symptoms of glaucoma, a condition where the optic nerve becomes damaged. Symptoms for the condition include severe headache, eye pain, nausea and vomiting.
The second most searched-for condition is dry eyes, with the UK searching on average 10,020 times per month. People experiencing symptoms of dry eye may have stinging, burning or scratchy sensations in their eyes, sensitivity to light and eye redness.
Health Condition Ranking diabetes 1 anxiety 2 depression 3 flu 4 lung cancer 4 chlamydia 4 high blood pressure 4 breast cancer 5 pneumonia 5 prostate cancer 5
While searching symptoms online might be a more convenient option, where we do this to hope for peace of mind that what we’re experiencing are not symptoms of scary illnesses, but completely normal.
However, if we see this is the case, we may skip the doctors and risk missing something that could have been an early indicator of a potentially life threatening disease.
Or, what we often find is that the information provided could lead us to believe that our symptoms are more serious. This kind of result could actually make people avoid seeing the doctor because they fear bad news is coming and can even be incredibly anxiety-inducing.
Either way, if people are experiencing symptoms that are not usual for them, it’s best to check with a healthcare professional just to rule out anything more sinister and get help.
(Lead image: Thaspol / Adobe Stock)
-
Bridgend7 days ago
New coach service launches between Swansea and Bristol airport
-
First Cymru3 days ago
Bus services across Swansea to get timetable changes to improve reliability
-
Construction4 days ago
Work to start on 43 home development at former Port Talbot school
-
Dyfed Powys Police7 days ago
Body found in search for missing Daniel Jones
-
Carmarthenshire3 days ago
Carmarthenshire man set for 100 mile marathon charity challenge
-
Carmarthen7 days ago
Carmarthen to Aberystwyth route sees 65% growth in passengers after introduction of electric buses
-
Rugby6 days ago
Scarlets great Jonathan Davies awarded testimonial year
-
Swansea7 days ago
End of summer target for Princess Way scaffolding removal