Long before the Internet and direct-to-consumer advertising, the medical profession tried to reassure people about their health concerns. Remember “take two aspirins and call me in the morning”?
Flash forward to today’s online “symptom checkers”––quizzes to see if someone has a certain disease and exhortations to see their doctor even if they feel fine. Once Pharma discovered that health fears and even hypochondria sell drugs, there seems to be no end to the new diseases, symptoms and risks people need to worry about.
