Doctor Google leads to a quarter of British women being misdiagnosed

Turning to Doctor Google, women with health concerns are misdiagnosing themselves and even buying the wrong product to try to cure their illness.

Not only does the search engine provide an inaccurate diagnosis, one-in-10 self-medicating women are even experiencing side effects as a result of their misdiagnosis.

The figures came to light as a result of a survey of 1000 women, many of whom said they consulted the web when they had embarrassing medical issues.

Almost a third of those surveyed visited the doctor as a last resort because of waiting times.

Breast cancer was the most common incorrect diagnosis, followed by thrush, high blood pressure and asthma.

Most commonly, women turn to Doctor Google when they have sleep problems, headaches, depression and anxiety.

The research was commissioned by feminine health brand Balance Activ to mark National BV Day, which aims to raise awareness of Bacterial Vaginosis – a condition that is almost twice as prevalent as thrush that two out of three women are misdiagnosing.

Penny McCormick from Balance Activ said: “What can seem like a relatively harmless but embarrassing symptom could develop into something more serious, so it is important for women to ensure they are asking the right questions and treating certain conditions effectively.”