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Dec. 1, 2008

Max Freidlander, as told to Jacklyn C. Wadler: India Inkings

Mark Steyn: Whodunit!?

Nov. 28, 2008

Rabbi Ahron Rapps: An evil seed that didn't have to be

Melanie Phillips: Carpe diem --- or can we all relax now?

Nov. 26, 2008

Michael Feldberg: Meet the Orthodox Jew who laid groundwork for scientific development of ordnance that undergirds America's current world leadership

Andrea Simantov: Shades of life

Nov. 25, 2008

The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir : Getting Emotional For Influence

The Kosher Gourmet by Ethel G. Hofman : Thanksiving feast!

Nov. 24, 2008

Rabbi S. Binyomin Ginsberg: 'I just Became a grandchild!'

Barry Rubin: Don't flatter your enemies, protect your friends

Nov. 21, 2008

Rabbi A. Henach Leibowitz: Money matters?

Caroline B. Glick: Civilization walks the plank

Nov. 20, 2008

Rabbi Avi Shafran: Bronfman's blindness

The Kosher Gourmet By Linda Gassenheimer: Portobellos add a hearty flavor to pasta with pesto

Nov, 19, 2008

The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir : Spread the wealth? Jewish tradition and income equality

Elliot B. Gertel: 'Mad Men': Tackling prejudices or reinforcing them?

Nov, 18, 2008

Dr. Debby Schwarz Hirschhorn: The End of the Age of Reason

Jonathan Tobin: Does Barack + Bibi = Disaster?

Nov, 17, 2008

Rabbi Yonason Goldson: The End of the Age of Reason

Diana West: Gulling Americans into making terror legit?

Nov, 14, 2008

Rabbi A. Henach Leibowitz: The Power of Spiritual Inertia

Caroline B. Glick: The perils ahead

Nov, 13, 2008

Stratfor Intelligence Briefing: How Bush and Obama together could change the Middle East dynamic

The Kosher Gourmet by JeanMarie Brownson: Sweet and savory, crispy and meltingly tender bestilla

Nov, 12, 2008

The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir : Tyrannical Co-Workers

Michael Doyle: High Court to consider today donated monuments that may have religious messages in public parks

Nov, 11, 2008

Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Will Obama stop government officials considering institutionalizing financial jihad?

Jonathan Tobin: They Will Decide Their Own Fate

Nov, 10, 2008

Rabbi Avi Shafran: $8 billion, modern-day Tower of Babel being built?

Barry Rubin: A letter to the president-elect from a Middle East realist

Nov, 7, 2008

Rabbi Francis Nataf: Of Children and Immortality

Caroline B. Glick: Livni's Obama strategy

Nov, 6, 2008

Rabbi Yonason Goldson: How I tricked a classroom of apathetic students into grasping the fallacy of moral relativism

The Kosher Gourmet By Gina Kim: Tips for making the perfect soup --- includes recipes

Nov, 5, 2008

The Jewish Ethicist By Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Destitute Debtors

Bruce Weinstein: 'Religulos': Bad title,even worse movie

Nov, 4, 2008

Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Treasury Dept. submits to Shariah law

Frida Ghitis: A surprise for Obama in the Middle East

Nov, 3, 2008

Jonathan Rosenblum: Who says Jews are Smart?

Jonathan Tobin: Was He Wrong About Everything?

March 22, 2007

J-Rhythms with Avraham Rosenblum: JWR's cutting-edge music program showcasing performers -- singers, song writers, musicians, and bands -- who learn and live the Torah lifestyle (OUR NEWEST IGODCAST !)

Oct. 29, 2003
Mortimer B. Zuckerman: Graffiti On History's Walls (MUST-READ!)

Jewish World Review Oct. 8, 2008 / 9 Tishrei 5769

The Internet Cure

By Lloyd Garver


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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | When one of those morning "news" shows recently featured a story about people using the internet to get medical information on the same day that the "New York Times" dealt with that subject, I knew that this medical surfing had become an epidemic.


I've never used the internet to self-diagnose an ailment or second-guess my doctor. This is because it would only make me feel worse. I'm the kind of person who asks my doctor to refrain from telling me the possible side effects of medications, knowing that this information will make me imagine that I'm suffering from these side effects. So I don't think it's a good idea for folks to use the internet for medical purposes if they are among those people who, whenever they're asked for their occupation, should truthfully answer, "hypochondriac."


Don't get me wrong. The internet can be a marvelous resource. If I had a serious ailment or had something that several doctors were unable to diagnose, I would probably turn to the internet. I'm sure that the internet has saved lives and armed many patients with important information.


There are so many medical sites on the Web that some experts suggest that you only go to those whose names end in .gov. The theory is that if it is a government-approved site, we can trust it. Nice theory, but remember it's the same government that gave us the Great Economic Disease of 2008. I say, shop around and use whatever sites make sense to you. But use them wisely.


Those who think they know as much as doctors just because they have surfed the Web, are probably wrong. Those who give their friends medical advice based on what they read on the internet last year are probably making a mistake. And those who learn things from the internet but keep them a secret from their doctor are really being silly. Share what you learned with him or her. If your doctor is insulted that you went on the internet, get another doctor.


I still maintain that the internet isn't the place to go every time you have a pain, a scratch, or a cough. I decided to put this to the test. I have some pain in my arm that I assume is from playing tennis. But how can I be sure? I'm not a doctor. So, I went online to see what the Web had to say about my pain.


The first site I went to listed 123 possible causes of arm pain. That seemed a bit overwhelming, so I left. The next site — honestly — had 61 causes of arm pain. It's interesting that this site had almost exactly half the causes of the other site. I wondered if it only dealt with one arm instead of two.


There is a kind of site that is the worst kind for anxious patients — and is there any other kind of patient? This site allows you to take the symptom —- like arm pain — and then look at various causes which you can accept or reject, and then add a second symptom, etc. In other words, let's say you have arm pain, but sometimes you have an itchy left eye. That could mean that you have an entirely different problem from the person who has arm pain and is allergic to sour cream.


Among the first ten causes prominently listed on a site dealing with arm pain were angina, arteriosclerosis, and a chronic peptic ulcer. I couldn't even find tennis or any kind of exercise on the list. Was I wrong about my pain? I had to admit that I often have an upset stomach. Could the pain in my arm mean that I had an ulcer?


The longer I looked at possible symptoms, I felt I'd be lucky if it was "only" an ulcer. The more I read, the more I felt a need to read even more. "Just one more site," I promised myself — over and over again. After a while, the pain in my arm grew worse and worse. Was this psychological?


But before I checked out "psychological for pain," I realized what was causing the increased pain. My arm was hurting me more and more because of all the typing I was doing. I had been typing so much to try to find out why my arm was hurting, and it hurt me more because of the typing! That was it. That was the correct diagnosis.


At least I'm happy to say I resisted doing a search for "pain and stupid repetitive behavior."

Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.

JWR contributor Lloyd Garver has written for many television shows, ranging from "Sesame Street" to "Family Ties" to "Frasier." He has also read many books, some of them in hardcover. Comment by clicking here. Visit his website by clicking here.

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