Billions of people use many different types of social media platforms every day. Social media helps us connect with more people than ever before. However, as it turns out, that may be too much of a good thing.
There’s no question that social media impacts many aspects of our lives, including the decisions we make. This can even include decisions related to our health as it’s now become extremely easy for us to compare ourselves to others.
“The most common social media health trends we see are related to diet and exercise,” Ana Endaya, nurse practitioner at Bon Secours Woodward Medical Center, shares. “They’re all about having muscles, losing fat and fitting a certain body image. Seeing these things portrayed so often can put you in a vulnerable state, which can prompt you to make a hasty health decision based out of emotion.”
Not only can this influence be detrimental to your self-esteem, but the promotion of diets, supplements or advice from non-medical professionals can cause you to make unsafe health choices.
“These can be very dangerous. Even though, in most cases, they are presented in a nice, uplifting way, these things are not based on your own personal medical history, which can lead to unintended consequences,” Ana says. “You should be consulting with your primary care provider before making any of these decisions.”
With social media, the important thing to keep in mind is what works for someone else, or even a large group of others, may not be what is best for your health. And if you end up trying something that goes badly, it’s important to be open about it with your provider.
“I always encourage honesty with my patients in general, so we can make sense of the treatment they will need,” Ana shares. “Even though it may feel trivial or embarrassing, I encourage everyone to be honest with their health care provider. We are here for you; we want to provide the best care for you and that requires that you be honest with us.”
Also, did you know it’s now just as easy to access your health care provider as it is to log onto your favorite social media platform? Consider scheduling a virtual visit that allows you to have a discussion with a trained, certified medical professional on how to achieve the health results you are looking for without negative health consequences.
Learn about the virtual care services we offer at Bon Secours.
