Good health is a luxury that many take for granted, a point reinforced when exploring the overwhelming number of phrases entered into search engines surrounding medical problems and conditions.
Recent research by Epiar Inc. uncovered an astounding volume of searches seeking information and resources relating to human health problems. The analysis of this information provides unique and unprecedented insight into our culture’s most prevalent medical concerns, questions, fears, and ailments.
The following chart highlights the top-searched medical problems according to online search:
Click here to view the full listing of all 45,477 phrases considered in this study. Or, for a more focused report, consider these 10,750 relevant phrases.
Taking a Closer Look
Search statistic reports for viruses, diseases, disorders, and syndromes read like shopping lists of the various conditions known by our society, while searches for strokes and seizures center more closely on the personal responses of people faced with these conditions.
Interestingly, less serious medical issues also appear prominently within internet search – issues impossible to fully measure using conventional hospital or clinic-based patient statistics. Problems such as fevers, inflammations, spasms, and infections, which may be treated at home (in minor cases) using rest and a little information from the internet, clearly appear within the public’s mind. I sure am glad I’ve never encountered esophageal spasms before!
Curiously, marked differences appeared in searches for sicknesses and illnesses. I had always thought of these words as referring to the same thing, but search frequency statistics disagree.
Cultural anthropologists studying the topic of taboo in today’s society should find the analysis of people’s search behaviour surrounding excretory organ problems (7,515,350 estimated annual searches) and sexual organ problems (13,434,555) of interest. Searches surrounding these ‘private’ body parts were comparable to or exceeding searches for other portions of the human body, even the heart (8,008,100). For public health education specialists, how does the knowledge that people are turning to the internet for information surrounding ‘private’ health concerns (instead of speaking to friends, relatives, or a medical professional about these embarrassing / taboo issues) affect educational strategies for effectively communicating important information to the people who really need it?
Within the myriad of dis-ease centered searches, hopes for a cure were also present. I hope the searchers find what they are looking for.
Cancer Searches Very High
Not surprisingly, cancer appeared as one of the most prominent topics the public’s mind. Taking a closer look at the public’s search surrounding cancer, people seem to be the most interested in learning more about cancer symptoms and signs (perhaps in self-diagnostic activities?) as well as cancer treatments.
Interestingly, searches for symptoms and signs of any ailments also centered on cancer. Fear of cancer is clearly near the top of the public’s mind when it comes to health.
Oddly, people are also searching for pictures of various ailments, including skin cancer, toungue cancer, and scarlet fever. This information could be valuable to webmasters at public medical information sites.
Applying the Information
Aside from the sociological intrigue of all this health-related data, imagine how much a pharmaceutical company selling pain relievers could benefit from using charts like these, or perhaps a government department figuring out how to improve health care. Hopefully, following my ice hockey season-opener this Monday night, I won’t be searching for lower-body ailment information myself!
If searches like these aren’t enough to rejuvenate your personal cardiovascular programs, detoxification routines, de-stressing relaxation time, and your vegetable intake, perhaps you should revise your medical insurance plan already!
Epiar Inc. is an Edmonton-based internet market research and search engine optimization company. Please contact us for more information or to commission your own research reports.
