Do you search compulsively for health information online? You could have this common disorder

If you search compulsively for health information online, you could have a condition called cyberchondria. Two doctors offered input on recognizing symptoms and taking healthy action.

While cyberchrondria may not start as a physical disease, it can cause intense levels of anxiety and fear that can negatively impact a person's health, according to Dr. Maggie Williams, a family physician in Scottsdale, Arizona, and medical director for MDLIVE Virtual Primary Care. "The invention of the internet and then the perfection of search engines created a global hypochondria, where patients searched to find possible explanations for their symptoms." "Most people may not recognize the symptoms before it’s too late, after they’ve invested hours, delayed access to the doctor and worsened their overall anxiety." "You may also have a heightened fixation on a particularly serious disease or condition, despite any evidence that you are suffering from it." Melissa Rudy is health editor and a member of the lifestyle team at Fox News Digital. 

Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and a Fox News medical contributor, said he and his colleagues used to call the condition "medical students' disease."