Hands up if you have turned to Google any medical symptoms, done a thorough self-diagnosis, gone to the pharmacy, self prescribed yourself medicines and thought to yourself that maybe you should have done a medical degree after all.

Now take that hand and and slap yourself hard because self-diagnosis is ridiculous, inaccurate and downright silly. The symptoms given online may match your condition but what if the underlying problem is a bigger one? Then what? I admit to looking for my symptoms online until one fine day I got a virtual slap and had to let go of this stupidity and let the doctors do their job that they are qualified for. It turned out to be more expensive to fix the self-diagnosed damage than to have spent a fraction of that amount on just letting a professional do their job.

This doesn’t just happen in the medical field. A lot of people these days rely on the internet for what they think are verified solutions for just about everything in life. We have armchair psychologists, carpenters, actors, movie directors, relationship advisers, lawyers, baby experts, and the list goes on and on. Everyone seems to be smart enough to use their smartphone but not many seem smart enough to know when to let it be and let the professionals take over.

It will be hilarious to get these self-appointed professionals to do something in their so-called Googled field of expertise to put their money where their mouth is and do what they claim the Internet says to be true.

Gullible is one thing but stupid is a whole new different level. Do leave the professionals to do their job. If, by sheer luck, you have managed to diagnose correctly then just gloat in that glory and let it off as a one-off victory. This does not constitute you open up a practice and claim to be a professional while you are only ever Googling what to do next.

I’ll have you know that I love baking cakes as a hobby. It gives me immense pleasure to make cakes for loved ones but even I know my limits, and despite going on to the Internet for tutorials on how to ice cakes or make a certain kind of a cake, I’d rather the professionals did my formal stuff for me.

I’m all for learning a new skill, adopting a new hobby or even trying my hand at something and take great pride at it. Diagnosing illnesses and prescribing medications will never ever be your forte unless you have painstakingly studied this field and have passed your exams and gotten your degrees through unquestionable institutions.

Do us all a favour, including yourself. Use the Internet to keep yourself amused, and try and stay alive. Prescribing yourself medication is never a good idea; even the harmless paracetamol taken wrongly can result in a burst ulcer and turn out to be fatal. Take it from me, I have seen this happen and it is not something one would wish even on their worst enemy. Unless you’re the type inclined on eradicating your enemy!

Twitter: @kamz26