Should you trust WebMD or see a doctor?

Use WebMD as a starting point, not a diagnosis. If symptoms are new, worsening, severe, persistent, or worrying you, see a doctor or other qualified clinician.

Seek urgent/emergency care now for red flags such as chest pain, trouble breathing, signs of stroke, severe allergic reaction, severe abdominal pain, fainting, major injury, suicidal thoughts, or sudden severe symptoms.

For mild, familiar symptoms, WebMD can help you learn possible causes, what questions to ask, and when care is recommended. But online symptom checkers can miss important context, over- or under-estimate risk, and cannot examine you, review your full history, or order tests.