Dr Google: The Most Googled Health Problems

Whether it’s sexual health, family planning or general wellbeing, we all have concerns about our health in some way or another. But, with a quarter of patients waiting more than a week for a GP appointment, many will turn to Dr Google to find out more about their health symptoms — a habit that often leads to less clarity and more fear around our conditions. 

We’ve collated Google Search data to discover the top Googled health issues in the country, from pregnancy fears and sexual health woes to quick home remedies.  

Top 20 Health Questions People Ask Google

The most commonly Googled health questions tend to be around home remedies and treatments, including ‘how to stop snoring’, how to get rid of a cough’ or cold and ‘how to get rid of diarrhoea’. It makes sense that people would turn to the internet to answer these questions. If you’ve already confirmed that you have a particular health condition, a GP appointment isn’t necessary.

The majority of searches for home remedies link to the common cold, with searches for how to get rid of a cough, sore throat, a blocked nose and a cold occurring six times out of 20. While there is no cure for a common cold beyond rest, you can lessen the impact of symptoms at home by drinking plenty of fluids and eating healthily; taking over-the-counter painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen to reduce fevers, headaches and muscle soreness; using decongestant sprays or tablets to relieve a blocked nose; and trying remedies such as gargling salt water and drinking Lemsip.

Biggest Pregnancy Concerns According to Google

Among home remedies, searches about pregnancy are particularly common, perhaps because it can be a bit of a taboo topic among young people who may not know, for example, that you can get pregnant on your period. Fertility issues are also a taboo topic for many, which is why some will turn to Google rather than friends, family or their healthcare provider. Additionally, there are so many new rules to remember during pregnancy, such as what you can and can’t eat and how you can move your body, that it’s no wonder people turn to Dr Google for advice.

Busting some pregnancy myths

Among the top 10 pregnancy-related health queries are questions like ‘can you get pregnant on your period?’ and ‘can you get pregnant from precum?’. 

The short answer to both is ‘yes’. While it isn’t your most fertile window, if you have sex without using contraception before, during or after your menstrual cycle, there is a chance you will get pregnant. 

Precum, or pre-ejaculate fluid, is a fluid that is released before a man fully ejaculates. While precum does not usually contain semen, some semen can leak into it, making it possible for pregnancy to occur. 

Questions regarding fertility

Queries around fertility, including ‘how to get pregnant’, ‘how to tell if you’re pregnant’ and ‘how long it takes to get pregnant’ are also quite common.

While the amount of time it takes to get pregnant will vary for all couples, the majority will get pregnant within a year if they have unprotected sex every two to three days. But it’s important to note that factors such as age may lengthen the process. You can use an at home pregnancy test to find out if you’re pregnant. If you’ve been trying for a baby for more than a year with no results, speak to your GP. 

Rules around pregnancy

Some of the most commonly asked questions regarding pregnancy are about what you can and can’t do while pregnant, such as dyeing your hair, taking paracetamol, flying on an aeroplane and eating certain foods. 

Research has shown that dyeing your hair and taking paracetamol are safe for pregnant people, as is flying up to 36 weeks (or 32 if it's a multiple pregnancy). There are many rules around what you can’t eat when pregnant, the top being unpasteurised milk, cheese or cream or soft cheese with mould, cold-smoked or cured fish, raw shellfish, raw eggs, liver, raw or undercooked meat and game meats. There’s a full list of foods to avoid on the NHS website.

Biggest Sexual Health Concerns According to Google

Busting some sexual health myths

Sexual health is another taboo topic, so it’s no wonder so many people are searching up sexual health queries online. Some of the most commonly asked questions are based on myths, such as whether you can have sex while pregnant, get an STI while wearing a condom or from kissing, get pregnant without having sex, and whether you can contract tonsillitis from oral sex.  

The truth is, you can have sex while pregnant, though doctors advise to stop doing so in the final weeks of pregnancy when labour is imminent. You can also get pregnant without having sex, if your partner ejaculates on or near your vulva/vagina, although the chances are very low. This is known as a ‘splash pregnancy’.  

You can also get an STI while wearing a condom, such as HPV, or from kissing, such as herpes (or cold sores). Some STIs, such as herpes, HPV and syphilis, are passed on via skin on skin contact, meaning you can contract them even if you wear a condom. As for tonsillitis, if you engage in oral sex with someone who has gonorrhoea or chlamydia, you may catch tonsillitis from them. 

Concerns around STIs

Unsurprisingly, people flock to Google to find out about STIs and other sexual health concerns that have an unknown cause, like itchy genitals and painful sex. 

If your genitals become itchy it could be an allergic reaction to washing powder or soap, a skin infection like eczema, or a sexually transmitted disease such as trichomoniasis. If the itching sensation is impacting your quality of life and doesn’t subside after switching soaps/washing powders, speak to your GP.

Sex can become painful for a number of reasons, from a lack of arousal to vaginismus (which is when your vaginal muscles automatically tighten during intercourse, causing penetration to become painful) or vulvodynia (when your vulva is painful to touch) and even chronic conditions like Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), endometriosis or  pelvic inflammatory disease. You could also have a urinary tract infection (UTI). If sex suddenly begins to hurt, speak to your GP.

Women’s health is something that is shrouded in misinformation and obscurity, which is why so many women turn to Google to get help with their symptoms from abdominal pain to bacterial vaginosis. 

Is my discharge normal?

The look and smell of discharge is often a top worry for women, but it's important to remember that the consistency, colour and smell of discharge changes depending on where you are in your cycle. Speak to your GP if you find your discharge is deviating from your monthly norm or is accompanied by other symptoms such as pain or itching. 

Thrush vs Bacterial Vaginosis

While the symptoms of thrush and bacterial vaginosis may seem similar, as both infections have different causes and treatments. So it’s important to understand the differences.

Thrush causes soreness and itchiness around the vagina, an odourless cottage cheese-like discharge and a burning sensation while passing urine. Thrush is caused by a yeast infection and is treated using antifungal medication.

Meanwhile, bacterial vaginosis (or BV) causes a fishy, unpleasant odour and greyish watery discharge. BV should not cause you soreness or itchiness in your vagina. BV stems from an imbalance of “good” and “harmful” bacteria in your vagina. Douching, not using condoms, and having new or multiple sex partners may cause BV. BV can be treated using over-the-counter products such as Balance Activ.

10 Questions on Gut Health that Brits Google the Most

Over the last few years, people have become more concerned about their gut health, with discussions around conditions like Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and food intolerance becoming more commonplace. Some of the most common reasons for gut health issues are Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, Gallstones, Celiac Disease and Gluten Intolerance, Crohn's Disease, IBS, and Ulcerative Colitis. 

Gut problems can cause bloating, constipation, diarrhoea, haemorrhoids, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, trapped wind and abdominal pain before or after eating. It’s important to speak to a medical professional if your symptoms last for multiple days and can’t be explained by an obvious reason, such as food poisoning.

With more awareness of mental health issues from depression and anxiety to Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), it’s again no surprise that people turn to the internet to learn more about how they’re feeling. Not to mention, long waits for referrals to see psychiatrists and receiving diagnoses may see people taking their health into their own hands, and using Google as a way to self-diagnose certain disorders.

ADHD and autism

There’s been a significant rise in diagnosis of ADHD and autism since 2000, which has been attributed to more awareness and better diagnostic practices, advancements in the research and less stigma. However, a lot of people get their information about autism and ADHD online, particularly TikTok, but research has found that this information is rarely reliable, leading to incorrect self-diagnosis.

Depression and anxiety

It’s also common for people to self-diagnose with depression and anxiety. Common symptoms of depression include emotional and physical elements, such as feeling tearful, feelings of hopelessness, fatigue, loss of appetite, and reduced libido. Anxiety often displays as feelings of unease and worry.

If you experience signs or symptoms of depression or anxiety and they persist or do not go away, or they become debilitating by affecting your everyday life, it’s important to seek help from your GP. Or, you could consider reaching out to a charity such as Mind or Samaritans if you don’t feel you have the support network around you.

Summary

Search data shows that people with genuine concerns for their health, as well as a lack of knowledge around things like sexual health and pregnancy, often turn to Google, rather than their GP for answers. However, it can be difficult to diagnose yourself without the advice of a medical professional, and it’s important not to believe everything you read online. If you have genuine concerns about your mental or physical health, speak to a medical professional as soon as possible.