Unnecessary Attention Can Have A Negative Impact
A sense of accomplishment overwhelmed Alex upon reaching a posh laboratory in Los Angeles. Influenced by social media celebrities, Alex made the decision to have his full body scanned using an MRI machine. This was a costly process. But he felt that it was the best choice for his health.
The results showed the presence of a nodule on his lungs and a small cyst in his kidney. Frightened, he went to various doctors and learned that both were benign tumors.
This phenomenon is termed over-screening in medical terms – unnecessary testing and worrying about trivial abnormalities.
Taking care of our health is important. But it is imperative to put the brakes on things. Anything in excess is never good.
Nowadays, this has developed into a trend. After following celebrities and influencers, people are opting for needless medical assessments without even consulting doctors.
And it does more harm than good.
Unprescribed screenings may result in false-positive findings. They may detect abnormalities that are otherwise non-malignant. All this gives patients extreme mental stress, compelling them to live under constant fear and uncertainty, which gradually deteriorates their well-being.
The financial burden is no less serious. Medical tests strain the budget, and follow-ups and treatment add to the cost in the case of a misdiagnosis. They drain a person’s resources and make them unprepared for real emergencies.
Also, the methods can be inconvenient. They cause pain and discomfort. Invasive procedures are potentially risky, while CT scans involve exposure to radiation, which can have adverse effects if done frequently.
Smartwatches and other wearables have increasingly become common. However, doctors argue that few of these measurements have clinical value. The rest are merely readings.
Also, repeated analysis of health data may turn into an unhealthy habit. For example, sleep tracking devices create so much stress about achieving perfect sleep that they end up worsening sleep quality, a problem called orthosomnia.
The actual purpose of diagnostic screenings is to track down diseases at an early stage. This ensures proper treatment in time, while also preventing further damage or spread.
But many famous personalities overlook this issue. They are engaged in promoting such products to satisfy their commercial interests.
They use their popularity to mislead their followers into believing that the tests are not only useful but essential.
Social media influencers should not encourage these practices. They should make responsible choices in marketing health-related products or services. Stricter laws should be implemented to improve their accountability.
And most importantly, consumers should be aware. They should seek medical advice and take tests only when justified, instead of following online trends blindly.