Without our mothers around, it’s easy to feel completely miserable when we’re feeling under the weather. But while Web sites like Wikipedia and WebMD can be useful, we think it’s ridiculous for someone to diagnose themselves using the Internet.

A new phenomenon known as “cyberchondria” is becoming more and more prevalent as the Internet becomes available to more people.

While checking out your symptoms on the Internet might seem innocent, the Internet doesn’t know you. It can’t review your past medical history or prescribe you the correct medication. If you feel a tingling in your legs, the Internet is likely to tell you that you have multiple sclerosis rather than knowing that your leg is probably just asleep. Innocent symptoms like headaches can mean that you have a brain tumor. Being tired could signal that you have AIDS. Sound crazy? We think so, too.

The fact of the matter is the Internet has become a powerful tool for hypochondriacs and people who immediately jump to conclusions about their own health. After pornography, health concern is one of the most popular subjects on the Internet. There are thousands of medical sites out there, some run by medical journals, some run by quacks.

The Internet is convenient and always there, but it’s no replacement for a real doctor with a real medical degree. Only a medical professional can accurately diagnose your symptoms and prescribe help.

Even looking up your symptoms and then going to the doctor isn’t great, because, as we’ve said, the doctor knows best. He or she won’t want to hear your self-diagnosis courtesy of WebMD.

When we live so far from home, it’s tempting to avoid the unfamiliar and put off a trip to the doctor’s office. But we encourage you to take advantage of the Health Center right here on campus, or of the many qualified doctors available here in Dallas.

Wikipedia and other online sources aren’t even trustworthy when they’re used as a resource for a term paper. Why would we trust it when it comes to our health?