Doctors urge patients to skip social media diagnoses and prioritize preventive care

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — As more people turn to TikTok, Reddit and other social media platforms for health advice, doctors are urging patients to think twice before trusting online trends over evidence-based medical care.

According to Dr. Joshua Brandon, a primary care physician with Norton Healthcare, many of the most common health conditions—including high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol—often develop without noticeable symptoms. Without routine checkups, those conditions can go undetected for years, increasing the risk of heart disease, stroke and other serious health problems.

Brandon said regular visits with a primary care provider can help identify health concerns before they become life-threatening.

“We have the data to prove it,” Brandon said. “When you’re coming in, when you are on top of things, you’re going to have better outcomes, you’re going to live longer, and you’re going to live a better life without these chronic diseases causing major problems for you.”

He also warned against relying on social media influencers or online forums for medical advice.

“Go to your doctor instead of going to Reddit, going to social media and TikTok,” Brandon said. “We hear a lot about supplements and wellness trends. Talk to someone who has evidence-based answers.”

Brandon said misinformation surrounding supplements, wellness products and viral health trends can cause people to delay proper medical care, sometimes allowing serious conditions to worsen before they receive treatment.

Instead, he encourages patients to establish a relationship with a primary care provider and stay current on recommended health screenings. Depending on a person’s age and risk factors, those screenings may include blood pressure checks, cholesterol testing, diabetes screening, prostate cancer screening and other preventive evaluations.

Beyond routine medical care, Brandon said healthy lifestyle habits continue to play a major role in preventing chronic disease. He recommends regular exercise, a balanced diet, quality sleep and maintaining strong social connections.

He also urged people not to ignore concerning symptoms or assume they’ll improve on their own.

“There are certain things where a timer starts,” Brandon said. “Time is brain, time is heart. We really need to start intervention right away.”

Rather than waiting until something feels wrong, Brandon said preventive care gives patients the best opportunity to stay healthy and avoid more serious medical problems later.

“We don’t need to just be seeing people when there’s a problem,” he said. “We need to be proactive. Being reactive instead of proactive—don’t do that with your health.”