Abu Dhabi: More and more people are seeking health advice online and on social media, creating unhealthy, even dangerous consequences for themselves, said an Abu Dhabi-based health expert. By preferring to take the easy way out and resorting to following unsubstantiated medical advice dished out on the internet or by social media ‘experts’, people are placing their safety in the wrong hands, the expert said.
“Over the past four years, I have been approached by patients requesting quick fixes, but there is no simple quick remedy. Nothing can replace a healthy lifestyle and the proper treatment of an illness,” said Dr Sreehari K Pillai, specialist, internal medicine at New Medical Centre (NMC) Specialty Hospital.
“I had two patients who relapsed after resorting to social media for health advice. The first patient took weight-loss medication and arrived at the hospital within a week with swelling all over the body, due to kidney failure. The second patient was diabetic and taking insulin. After being diagnosed as pregnant, she read that insulin is not the right treatment and hence stopped it of her own accord. Later, she developed complications related to high blood sugar and had to be treated with urgent medical intervention,” explained Dr Pillai.
“It turns out that unsolicited health advice comes in just as fast and furious across social media as users resort to a quick fix for a health problem.”
According to Dr Pillai, even if most of the people publishing an astounding amount of unverified medical advice on the web have good intentions, “most of it is not factual. The actual harm from following such advice is not reported to a doctor; therefore, it is difficult to tabulate the damage caused by it.”
With easy access to a million bytes of information at the click of a button, people’s overall approach to maintaining their own health is influenced by information they’re looking up in consumer reviews of health treatments.
But people should understand that one kind of medical advice does not work for all, said Dr Pillai.
The other platform that is equally attractive to people for seeking advice on a range of issues is social media.
Social media is worryingly influential, especially among youth, who tend to trust what they read, particularly when the source has a large number of followers, according to Dr Pillai.
“It is natural for teenagers to worry about their appearance, especially in their adolescent years,” said Dr Pillai, but it is important for parents to listen to their child’s concerns and seek help from a qualified expert.
“This is the best way to allay their fears,” he said.
“We need to make people aware about the risk of following random advice from anyone and the importance of not taking action based on it.”
With unfettered exchange of personal information on social media, what is of concern is not just the issue of privacy and confidentialty being at stake but also about how this volume of information is collected, identified and stored.
Dr Pillai has a word of advice for the digital denizens who freely dole out advice as though they are the experts. “The next time you feel the urge to give medical advice, ask yourself if you’re in a position to give it, if you’re respecting the patient’s decision, and why would you assume that you know the solution to someone else’s health problems,” he said.
Dr Zainab Saeed, general practitioner at Medeor Medical Centre, details how doctors are caught up in the middle, struggling with patients resorting to social media advice for medical treatment.
“Seven out of 10 patients I come across have taken some sort of online prescription posted on social media, and it is mostly common among well-educated Asian and Arab men and women of all ages, who have access to social media and are tech-savvy. Recently, I’ve had a 20-year-old Arab male patient, who came in for a check-up and medical tests. He was impatient and couldn’t wait for the lab results to come. The following day, he told me that he couldn’t sleep at night after reading on social media that his symptoms indicate that he could be suffering from cancer. I reassured him that he has a viral infection and all the information he read was false,” Dr Saeed said.
Dr Saeed explained how some parents tend to compound this problem by passing on health advice to friends, relatives and neighbours about medications they used. “Last year, I treated a five-year-old girl who initially had a viral infection, but ended up with a severe allergic condition because her parents read a recommendation on a social media chat group that she should be treated with an antibiotic,” she said.
“I constantly educate my patients, about the misleading and false information on self-medication posted on social media platforms and urge them to seek expert advice; patients who suffered from health consequences post self-medication, regretted their actions.”
Gulf News asked residents if they turn to social media for health advice.
Norby Ramirez, 34, Colombia
Sharing health advice on social media is a good thing, she believes.
“I follow many online health advice forums and groups, but I do not take random advice. I do my own research to know if the information and advice is true. I have never sought advice on slimming pills or tablets,” Ramirez said.
She added, “People sharing their stories and experiences should also be responsible about what they post, I personally share advice on natural remedies that worked for me in the past.”
Ramirez bought some health products that had good online reviews but was disappointed upon learning that the products did not work for her.
Irfan Akhtar, 30, Pakistan
Akhtar, an accountant by profession, is totally against health advice posted on social media forums.
“I don’t follow any health advice [on social media]. I don’t know why people post such information when they’re not in a position to do so, especially when it comes to prescribing or recommending products, pills or medication that might end up harming people.”
Nivine Akl, 28, Lebanon
Akl has tried a couple of quick fixes and tips posted on social media.
“My husband and I wanted to lose weight. We read on social media that consuming hot water with lemon, mint and cinnamon is an effective fat burner, along with eating pineapple. We tried it and lost about 3 kilograms in a week,” said Akl.
She added, “I read a lot on weight loss tips, out of curiosity, and because it’s easy to access, but I also ask myself, whether the before and after images of people are even genuine, or is it just a way to seek attention, and to attract a large number of followers.”
Simplice Ebock, 29, Cameroon
Ebock follows several health gurus on YouTube.
“I like looking and feeling good, that’s why I’m keen on following health advice and trends posted on social media, especially when I see great weight loss results. I haven’t tried any health tips yet, but I would definitely consider tips and advice on weight loss,” Ebock said.
“I see a lot of online health advice, but how can I verify its authenticity? I’m personally very health conscious and I read a lot of the stuff that’s posted online, but I never take it seriously,” he said.
Ramirez believes sharing health advice on social media is a good thing. “I follow many online health advice forums and groups, but I do not take random advice. I do my own research to know if the information and advice is true. I have never sought advice on slimming pills or tablets,” she said. “People sharing their stories and experiences should also be responsible about what they post, I personally share advice on natural remedies that worked for me in the past.”
Ramirez bought some health products that had good online reviews but was disappointed upon learning that the products did not work for her.
Akhtar, an accountant by profession, is totally against health advice posted on social media forums. “I don’t follow any health advice [on social media]. I don’t know why people post such information when they’re not in a position to do so, especially when it comes to prescribing or recommending products, pills or medication that might end up harming people,” he said.
Ebock follows several health gurus on YouTube. “I like looking and feeling good, that’s why I’m keen on following health advice and trends posted on social media, especially when I see great weight loss results. I haven’t tried any health tips yet, but I would definitely consider tips and advice on weight loss,” he said.
Nivine Akl, 28, Lebanon
Akl has tried a couple of quick fixes and tips posted on social media. “I read a lot on weight loss tips, out of curiosity, and because it’s easy to access, but I also ask myself, whether the before and after images of people are even genuine, or is it just a way to seek attention, and to attract a large number of followers.”
Marc Anthony, 36, Philippines
“I see a lot of online health advice, but how can I verify its authenticity? I’m personally very health conscious and I read a lot of the stuff that’s posted online, but I never take it seriously,” he said.
