New website provides reliable health information online

Image: Hannah from Girls would totally Google her symptoms (HBO).

Picture this: late one night, you notice a strange new symptom in your body. Let’s just say it’s pins and needles in your left thumb.

Concerned, you grab your phone to make an appointment with your go-to medical expert. No, not the one in the GP’s office down the road — they closed hours ago, plus you wouldn’t want to leave the house in this weather anyway — but good ol’ Dr Google.

After tapping your symptoms into the search bar, some dire news appears on the screen: You have brain cancer, typhoid, and the measles.

In truth you probably don’t have any of these illnesses, because Dr Google is actually not a qualified medical expert. You know this. We all know this. And yet we continue to research our health complains on websites and forums rather than consulting with an actual, real-life doctor.

Now, a Melbourne-based group of doctors is aiming to tackle this by providing Australians with health information that is accurate, credible, and approved by an Advisory Board — and only a click or two away. (Post continues after gallery.)

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They’ve launched a website called Health& (healthand.com) to act as a “digital doctor”, answering health FAQs and help users store and organise their health information.

“It is encouraging to see people taking an active interest in learning and communicating about their health online – we know that Dr Google and Professor Wikipedia are working 24 hours a day,” Health&’s Medical Advisory Board chairman Professor Leon Piterman tells NewsMail.

“As the appetite for health information continues to grow, it’s important for us to educate and empower our communities to source information that supports good health.”

Don't do it.

To save users from "wading through" generic Google search results, Health& provides "hundreds of entertaining and educational Australian health resources which are all medically reviewed," the website states.

In the 'Popular Questions' tab, common queries like, 'Will warts keep coming back?' and 'Can asthma medication be taken during pregnancy?' are answered, and there are entire sections of the site dedicated to specific health conditions like acne and melanoma.

Users can also set up an account and input their medical records and details of conditions, medications, activity levels and more to be stored privately and shared with family members if so desired. (Post continues after video.)

A smartphone app is also in the pipeline, and the site will eventually be translated into languages other than English.

While Health& will be a great way to improve your health literacy, it's always preferable to speak with a doctor in-person, especially if you have urgent symptoms or require medical treatment or advice.

As for you, Dr Google — we'll keep coming to you with random trivia questions and to figure out what else that actress in that TV show has starred in. But when it comes to our health, we'll stick with science, thanks.

Do you ever Google your symptoms?

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BreadKATIE THOMSITT, Dieticians Australia spokesperson says: "Lots of people shy away from bread to achieve weight loss. But bread is such an important source of fibre, and plays such a helpful role in weight loss and preventing bowel cancer. A couple of slices of a dark, seedy bread per day is absolutely fine."

CheeseKATIE SAYS: "Cheese is definitely a higher fat source of dairy, but still a good dairy fat. Choose low-fat options if you have it regularly, otherwise consume it in moderation. One serve of dairy is 30g, so a couple of slices is absolutely fine."

ChocolateKARA LANDAU, The Travelling Dietician says: "Studies have been able to show that dark chocolate can improve insulin sensitivity, reduce blood pressure in healthy individuals, protect against heart disease, and improve HDL good cholesterol (not a bad start for such a tasty food!). Dark chocolate also contains polyphenols, whilst white chocolate does not. These polyphenolic compounds are able to relax blood vessels allowing for better blood circulation, and thereby assisting with the maintenance of healthy blood pressure levels."

CoffeeKATIE SAYS: "Coffee is a really good snack, in particular if its milk-based to get the dairy in - for example, a skim latte. As long as its in moderation - daily guidelines say a maximum of three per day! And you want lots of water on top of that."

EggsKARA SAYS: "Yes, even the yolks are good for you! Healthy fat soluble vitamins, as well as half the protein found in an egg, are all found in the yolk!"

Avocado KATIE SAYS: "Avocado is a healthy fat. Lots of people think its high-fat and not good for you, but its rich in mono unsaturated fats, which give you protection against heart disease. It also helps with controlling lower cholesterol levels."

nutsKATIE SAYS: "Nuts fall into the same category as avocado - they have lots of healthy oils and fibre."

dairyKARA SAYS: "Often milk and yoghurts are fortified with Vitamin D (a fat soluble vitamin) which requires a small amount of fat to be present in order for the body to absorb it, therefore having the full fat variety can be of value to enhance the nutritional benefits from the products' consumption. The fat in the dairy also aids with satiety, which could prevent unhealthy snacking at a later point in the day."

PotatoKATIE SAYS: "Potato always gets a bad rap as a starchy vegetable, but it's an excellent source of fibre. Sweet potato in particular is great for weight management and sugar level control. Potatoes are also really rich in potassium."

Red meatKARA SAYS: People tend to restrict red meat unnecessarily, thinking that its high in saturated fat. "But lean red meat is high in protein, CLA (which has been found to be associated with lower body fat percentages), B12, iron and zinc. These are all nutrients we want to get into our body!"

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