A lot of people have trouble finding medical care, leading many people to head online before speaking with a doctor for an idea of what they're dealing with. For some, it can be exactly what they needed to understand the issue they're having, and for others, they could get it wrong and start handling things their own way while letting the true cause go untreated.

For me, a big eye opener to a medical problem I had was shown to me through a Facebook infographic that displayed point by point each of my own problems, and I looked it up to get further confirmation, referencing it with other similar conditions to ensure I was close to correct, and then I took it to my doctor who ran some evaluations.

Do you do this? Have you ever correctly self diagnosed and reported your finding to your doctor successfully? Have you ever gotten something wrong about your health, leading you to further harm?

Both have happened to me, so make sure you consult a doctor no matter what if one is available to you!

I self diagnose a lot because I get injured a lot. I'm constantly going to the doctor, hospital, dentist, GI, and Urgent care at least once or twice per year EACH. After years of seeing what their diagnoses are for each symptom combined with what I've been doing, whenever something happens that's small I can usually figure out what it is or what caused it instead of having to go somewhere.

I self diagnose, but only to have a real perception of my symptoms and where can they be heading to.

Due to having a chronic disease and having a low immune system I'm prone to having lots of things, both related and unrelated to my current condition. However, since the medical care system is overly saturated where I live, I self diagnose first so I can give a proper explanation to whoever ends up treating me and save valuable time, also because I have a history of symptoms coming and going without causing further harm.

I will never self-medicate because I can't trust any internet source. If it's medication already available home or which is kind of common, then yes, but I won't go out of my way to treat myself some symptoms with either medical or natural solutions. I prefer to wait, hear some opinions and then decide, sometimes even after seeing the results of one option before a change.

I did in the past because up until the age of 36. I had this illness since birth that causes me to get sick sometimes. It was frustrating for me because I had different doctors tell me different things.

I had some doctors in my past tell me you have COPD (I have never smoked or been exposed to pollution), another one said I had mild Cystic Fibrosis, others said it was this and that.

I started to self diagnose and look at other illnesses. Nobody could tell me anything and I was just looking for answers at this point. What was my illness.

Eventually I got with a new team of doctors. They did their own tests and I finally got the correct diagnosis. It turned out I have an auto immune disease that can effects my respiatory system.

Now, I do not self diagnose anymore since I have a good team of doctors. The only thing I do is read up on my condition such as new treatments

Its is comforting and such a relief to finally have answers.

I really thought I was going to come in here and say oh yeah I self diagnose but the more I think about it I can't think of a single time where I was like oh I have this without getting checked and told I had something so maybe my answer is no I don't self diagnose.

Actually there is one thing I self diagnosed I think I have some nerve damage in my hands from my diabetes due to how bad my hands shake normally and how they go numb if I hold them above my head. I brought this up to my doctor after thinking it for a while but they didn't wanna test to find out for sure and that's fine with me cause my grandpa talked like anyway they'd try to treat it wouldn't be fun.

SonicOlmstead : it’s carpal tunnel from old age. Retire from competing, this is my diagnosis and recommendation

As for me I usually self diagnose, unless it’s severe enough for me to go to the doctor. Charlie horse, dehydrated or lower back symptoms. Elbow hurting, tennis elbow from repetitive motion from my arm and wrist during work. Loss of taste, covid.

Point is, if it’s something simple and not urgent I usually treat myself once I know what the symptoms are the cause. Anything more severe like tight chest, sides hurting or something like that as examples… doctor I go and let him say “you got three months to live”

I think back in March I had a bad feeling that COVID had got me because just before I was about to leave for a doctor's appointment, my nose was stuffing and wouldn't clear and I was feeling hot, my temperature was over 100, and I didn't like what I saw, so I took a test to be on the safe side and sure enough two lines. I just wish my parents hadn't caught it from me