Dr. Google: Good for General Info but Not for Diagnosing Ourselves!

Let’s be honest — we’ve all been there. You feel something weird in your body, open your laptop “just to check,” and ten minutes later you’re convinced it’s anything from low iron to a rare tropical parasite.

Welcome to the late-night rabbit hole of Dr. Google.

As a nurse (and a woman with her own share of “what is this twinge?” moments), I get it. We’re living in an age of information overload. It’s empowering — and completely overwhelming.

But here’s the problem: information isn’t the same as an individual diagnosis or plan.

What Dr. Google Can Do

Let’s give the guy some credit. When used wisely, Google can actually help you build confidence and language for your health.

✅ Learn general facts. “What is perimenopause?” “What does inflammation actually mean?” Totally fair.

✅ Find lifestyle basics. Safe stretches for tight hips, healthy recipes, or credible definitions of “moderate exercise.”

✅ Discover reputable institutions. Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, universities, or professional associations usually provide evidence-based basics that apply to most people.

✅ Help you name your concerns. Sometimes reading about a symptom gives you the right words to describe what’s happening when you do see your provider.

When Dr. Google Will Betray You

Here’s where things get dicey: Google can’t know you.

🚫 It can’t assess your full story. Symptoms don’t live in isolation — context matters, and algorithms can’t see the whole picture. It doesn't have clinical judgement like human clinicians do.

🚫 It can’t provide nuance or compassion. No search engine can look you in the eye and say, “That sounds scary, but we’ll figure it out together.”

🚫 It rewards repetition, not truth. Which brings us to the next part…

How Google Actually Works (and Why That Matters)

Most people assume Google serves up the most accurate information first.Nope. It serves up the most popular.

Here’s what drives the algorithm:

• Repetition: The more a claim appears across websites, the higher it ranks.

• Clicks & engagement: The longer people stay on a page, the more “credible” it appears to Google.

• Keywords: Whatever phrasing people search most often shapes what shows up next.

• Personalization: Your search history influences what you see — meaning two people can get totally different results for the same question.

So if a catchy wellness myth gets repeated a thousand times, it’ll often outrank a quiet, evidence-based study hidden behind a paywall. Repetition wins. Truth gets buried.

That’s why you can Google the same symptom twice and get opposite answers — and why the loudest voices online can drown out medical accuracy.

The Color-coded Guide for Online Health Info

When you’re tempted to scroll, use this quick color-coded test:

✅ Green Flags — Reliable Info

• Transparent authorship (name, credentials, date)

• References to research or guidelines

• Reputable sources like major medical centers or associations

• Balanced tone (explains pros + cons)

• Updated within the past few years

🚩 Red Flags — Close That Tab

• No author or credentials listed

• Fear-based or shame-based messaging

• Big sales pitch or miracle promises

• Only personal anecdotes (“my cousin’s friend cured her arthritis with celery juice”)

• Anything that makes you feel panicked or pressured

Warning ⚠️ Most Online Health Info Doesn’t Apply to Midlife Women

Here’s a truth bomb that rarely gets talked about: women’s health — especially midlife women’s health — is drastically under-researched.

Most medical studies have historically been done on men in their 20s–40s, and the results were simply assumed to apply to women. 🙄 That means much of what you find on Google was built on data that doesn’t reflect female biology, hormone changes, or the complex reality of midlife.

A few examples:

• Perimenopause and menopause were barely studied until recently — even though they affect half the population for decades.

• Heart disease research focused on male symptoms (chest pain) while women often present with fatigue, nausea, or jaw pain — symptoms that still get dismissed.

• Exercise, sleep, and stress research often exclude women because hormonal cycles are considered “too complicated” to control for in studies. (Yes, really.)

So when you type your symptoms into Google, you’re seeing search results based on what’s been most repeated, not necessarily what’s most accurate — and definitely not what’s been tested on women our age.

That’s why it’s so easy to fall down a rabbit hole of conflicting advice, scary symptom lists, and “miracle” fixes that don’t work for real human women living full, complicated lives.

The takeaway? Online info can be a useful starting point, but it’s not the full story — especially for women in midlife. Pair curiosity with discernment. Ask:

“Was this research done on women like me?”“Does this apply to my life stage and body?”

Until women’s health research finally catches up (we’re working on it* 👏), our best strategy is blending science + self-awareness: use the data we do have, listen to our bodies, and keep advocating for ourselves.

*Annnnnddd another thing! A lot of what happens to science depends on federal funding. There is a lot of conflicting and confusing federal interaction with research funding as of 2025, so we don't know how that will affect research around women's health issues.

What Dr. Google Can’t Give You: Obviously

Even if you find a good article, there are things the Internet will never provide:

💬 Reassurance. That gentle “you’re okay, and we’ll figure this out.”

❤️ Compassion. An algorithm can’t sense fear, confusion, or loneliness.

🧭 Personal Context. Your history, meds, stress load, hormones — those matter, and Google can’t see them.

That’s why true health guidance has to come from real humans — people who listen, ask questions, and help you make sense of your unique body.

Holistic Health as a Spiritual Practice

Here’s the deeper truth: health isn’t just about data points. It’s about relationship — with your body, your intuition, and your life.

Every time you slow down, notice what your body is trying to tell you, and make a choice that honors your energy — that’s holistic healthcare.

Listening to your body is a spiritual act. It’s saying, “I trust this living system that carries me through the world.” It’s sacred work — not something an algorithm can do for you.

The Bottom Line

Dr. Google is a decent library, but he’s not your personal doctor — and definitely not your nurse, therapist, or friend.

Use him for education and curiosity. Don’t use him for comfort or diagnosis.

Because your healthspan — your ability to stay vibrant, strong, and functional for decades ahead — deserves more than the loudest voice on the Internet.

✨ Pro tip: Before you search, pause and ask, “What am I really looking for?” Information? Or reassurance? If it’s reassurance — close the tab, take a breath, and call someone who listens.

👉 Want more real-talk guidance? Watch my video about Dr. Google on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@frontporchnurse

Because sometimes the most healing thing isn’t more information — it’s remembering you’re not alone. 🧡

Let's Nerd Out - The Gender Gap in Health Research

1️⃣ Women remain underrepresented in clinical and biomedical studies

• Even now, many studies don’t analyze or report results by sex — meaning male and female data often get lumped together. In a review of Cochrane systematic reviews, “sex/gender reporting was highest in the descriptive section (78.2 %) but consistently lower in main results.” Cochrane Review of Sex/Gender Reporting (PMC, 2022)

  
  

• In randomized controlled trials, older women are especially under-enrolled. A 2022 analysis found that women are “inadequately represented” in recent RCTs, and that “older age is a potential barrier to the enrollment of women.” Daitch et al., Trials Journal (2022)

  
  

• In cardiology research, women represent less than 40% of participants in many heart and stroke trials — despite heart disease being the leading killer of women. American Heart Association Newsroom (2022)

2️⃣ Policies exist — but gaps remain

• The NIH now expects researchers to include sex as a biological variable (SABV) in study design, analysis, and reporting. NIH Office of Research on Women’s Health: Sex as a Biological Variable

  
  

• The National Academies of Sciences (2022) report Improving Representation in Clinical Trials and Research calls out persistent gender and age bias in research inclusion. National Academies Report (2022)

  
  

• Yet a 2021 analysis in eLife found that many papers claiming “sex differences” didn’t even use proper statistical tests — weakening credibility and slowing progress. Garcia-Sifuentes & Maney, eLife (2021)

3️⃣ Midlife women are especially invisible

• Because many studies exclude or under-sample older women, we lack robust data on how drugs, exercise, or stress interventions work for women aged 40–65. Daitch et al., Trials Journal (2022)

  
  

• The NIH Women’s Health Research Roadmap (2024–2029) names midlife as an “understudied life stage” and prioritizes new research in this area. NIH Women’s Health Research Roadmap (2024–2029)

  
  

• The National Academies further notes that biomedical advances for women have lagged due to “a lack of understanding of basic sex-based differences in physiology.” National Academies Report (2022)

4️⃣ The internet amplifies the gaps

• Algorithms prioritize popular content over accurate content — which means misinformation about women’s health spreads faster than peer-reviewed science. Vraga & Bode, American Journal of Public Health (2020)