This is the Industrial Revolution 4.0, everything and every information available out there is available at the click of a button. As we talk of the internet of things, and the ability to transfer data over a network without requiring human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction, what we forget is that we still need to sift through all that we can read, and find what is meaningful. So how do you google glaucoma? Or any other disease, for that matter!
When it comes to diseases and eye health, especially these which are asymptomatic and chronic, this assumes a greater importance. These rules would apply to any interaction over the web, pertaining to health, and I will only be using glaucoma as a case in point, because that’s what I know best.
If you look carefully enough, you will find you’re pregnant, even if you’re a man.
Symptoms are often generic, and a headache can result from having had an argument with the boss, to a Glioblastoma Multiforme, Grade IV, a vicious cancer in the brain. And as part of our psychological hardwiring, we tend to believe the worst case scenario (doctors have a name for it, internet hypochondria), or we tend to ignore all that is happening. Both scenarios aren’t ideal, and can cause unwarranted anxiety and complications.
So yes, some patients of glaucoma may have headaches, not all do, and as a corollary, no, headaches do not mean glaucoma, neither does the absence of headaches mean you don’t have glaucoma.
There will always be a snake-oil cure which is miraculous, has a hundred percent cure rate, and has no side effects.
Except only a handful of people know about it, and no doctors talk about it. It could be Reiki, healing, barley water, gluten free diets, cannabis oil, potions dispensed by a healer who will give you the medication for “free” and this therapy will work for everything: glaucoma, ankylosing spondylosis, cancer. You put a query on social media, and you will be inundated by suggestions from people who experienced the miracle cure, which baffled everyone, including their physicians, and yet, finds no mention in scientific literature. Despite their healer having cured “millions”. Be pragmatic, be sensible when you listen to this, and try and sift meaning from amidst all the white noise.
No, there is no elaborate corporate conspiracy keeping the miracle cure for cancer away from you. No, their cancer was not cured by Reiki, chances are they had chemotherapy, and Reiki. Reiki had no side effects, while the chemo did. Chances are, the chemo worked against the cancer, and the Reiki helped them feel good. It is normal to attribute all of the goodness to complementary medication, it just isn’t judicious to do so. Make the choice.
Which is not to diss alternate and complementary medication, but in case of glaucoma, CAM may or may not help preserve vision, but glaucoma eye drops that lower eye pressure, surely will. So have your bilberry extract and your ginko biloba leaf extracts by all means, but remember never to forget the travoprost prescribed by your doctor. And no, marijuana is not glaucoma therapy.
Every doctor will have a negative review online, and each doctor will be the “best XYZ specialist in Delhi”.
Such is the power of social media marketing, and yes, even doctors hire professionals to make sure they look good on media, same as everyone else. And yes, people troll doctors too, sometimes for no reasons. Even the doctors who find themselves getting “awards”, remember there are PR firms everywhere.
So how do you decide who is the best doctor for you?
Google your doctor.
Look at their educational qualifications, try and sift through the abbreviations. Look for their articles online. See if anything resonates on a personal level, or any of the scientific stuff looks impressive or relevant.
Ask a couple of friends if they’ve been to the doctor. Listen carefully.
Go to the doctor, and talk to him or her. If you walk away feeling lost, the best doctor in the world isn’t right for you. Find someone you can relate you, and reach out to in distress. Trust your instincts.
Get a second opinion, if you must. If it’s the same as the first, say a silent thank you and go back to your original doctor. In case its different from the first, think. which sounds more plausible? Go back to your first doctor. Discuss the second opinion. Now, once again, trust your instincts.
Remember, medicine is not an exact science. The human body has enough variables, and the same treatment may work differently for each patient. And glaucoma has several grey areas, the biggest one being diagnosis, and the second one being when to start treatment. Be patient while your doctor helps you negotiate the quagmire of glaucoma management, and customizes the treatment to your health needs. Participate actively in treatment decisions.
So how do you sift through the nonsense online when you google?
Read, and read from reputable sources. WebMD and Pubmed (which is peer reviewed science at its best) are invariably reliable. Pubmed is largely un-understandable and tough to negotiate, unless you have two PhDs in medicine, and two in statistics. WebMD is easier. But again, there is SO MUCH information to sift through.
You could google one of the bigger hospitals. Most of them have a patient information section. As does the NHS. For glaucoma, another good idea is to google the patient information section of the World Glaucoma Association, or the Asia Pacific Glaucoma Society, or the European Glaucoma Society or the American Academy of Ophthalmology, depending on which part of the world you belong to, racially.
So the easiest thing to do? Read online. Jot down your questions. Go and ask your doctor. Wait till each one of them is answered. Chances are your doctor will hate his job once you’re done with him or her. All doctors dread patients who come with an MD from Google University, but hey, you will at least know more about your disease then you ever did!
