why do people say we are not Drs on here??????

Question

i think its rude to tell someone that is askin a health question people say rudely dont be comin on here were not Drs.that is rude and encourages people not to want to ask of course the people who have an account here know we are not Drs. we on all on here givin advice like u could say ur oppinion and the say u should let ur Dr know not be rude and say u shouldnt be on here lookin ...we are all here to give what we think because others have experienced different things ..were not here to be rude ..we shouldnt do that some people dont have rightful families to ask stuff so they turn to yahoo answers to get maybe an idea on what they should do ..i just think if people are gonna say that stuff they shouldnt even be answering,u could be the cause of someone not wanting to come back and could be a person who may be able to guide you in wat ever question u have we should all be nice and just be helpfull not rude!!

Answer 1

I gotta agree with you. We are all humans. We're asking questions of other humans' experience or knowledge. It's all just opinions, believe it or not, even from doctors! :)

Answer 2

I readily admit that I get frustrated with some of the medical questions on this site. There’s good reason to tell someone to seek medical attention as opposed to asking on Yahoo. People qualify their answers with something like "I'm not a doc." as a warning that the answer is an opinion; however most don't give such a warning. Granted, there are many people on here with varying degrees of medical training & they give some good general advice; but, a lot of the questions are asking for a diagnosis. No clinician, worth his/her salt would give a diagnosis based on an on-line question. The only answers to such questions are "see your doctor" or "go to the ER".
Most on this site are unqualified to answer but many still give the wrong (even dangerous) advice based on anicdotal information, rumor, or outdated med information. Someone gives signs & symptoms of a true emergency and people actually answer telling them to ignore them. I think the most dangerous are those who have read a book or attended a class and see themselves as some kind of naturopathic physician. They will prescribe vitamins and attempt to steer someone away from definitive medical care.

But you’re right, there’s no reason to be rude about it. My guess is that the anonymity on this forum makes normally polite people feel free to be rude or sarcastic in situations where it’s not warranted.

Answer 3

The sentiment of "we aren't doctors" is wise, although sometimes it's not couched well. I've seen people post here with what sounded like quite serious conditions and it amazes me that instead of picking up the phone and calling their doc, or going to the free clinic, they'll ask a million total strangers (with no medical training) what they think about it?

I would never dream of risking my health or life because it's easier to log on to Answers and ask y'all what you think I might be dying of, rather than a professional who spent years in school studying illness/disease.

A minor question or for opinions, sure...it's interesting to read the viewpoints and experiences...but when people are posting that they've been ill for weeks/months, are having serious symptoms, etc and want to know what they should do...it's all I can do not to type "why haven't you called your doctor, you idiot?!!"

It's plain that what was once common sense, is now quite UNcommon these days...but does it really take a rocket scientist to figure out you should be discussing your issue with a professional? If so...I must be a freakin' rocket scientist... *shakes head*

Answer 4

Many people say it, not to be rude but to remind the person that they cannot give medical advice. That they are just giving an opinion, and a possibility. They do however need to see a doctor at some point if their condition gets worse.

Answer 5

i agree. i always state that i am not a doc though just so the asker knows that i may be wrong. i know that when i ask a health question i am pretty much looking for a majority rules type of answer. i do think it is rude too. for someone to answer simply that we are not doctors is a waste of your time. i think that the point in someone asking a health related question is not to expect someone to act in place of a doctor it is to see if someone has had the same experience and advice. if it was you that got that answer, try not to be too angry and upset. there are alot of rude and ignorant people on here that think that it is funny to make smart a$$ comments and make a fool of themselves

Answer 6

Sometimes people on here ask questions about their health that sound very serious, like they might have cancer or something similar but instead of going to a doctor they are coming here to see if someone here can tell them if they have cancer or not.
I agree that it is OK to ask any and all questions here and people should not be rude and insulting, but when someone is describing something very serious that could even cause them to die, then telling them POLITELY to see a doctor is the best advice they could get.

Answer 7

There is no reason a person should not ask for advice here and hope to contact someone who might have same problems etc. But when I or someone else says "I am not a doctor" what they are saying is, I can give you my opinion, but not being medically trained, it's only a layman's opinion. In my case if I would say it, it would mean, I am giving my opinion, but I would double check a medically trained person to make sure that you are treated properly and to assure that you will get better etc. I wouldn't want you to only to take my word for something seriously wrong and not get better, but worst.
But again, it's not wrong to ask for advise and not wrong to give the advice "to see a doctor"

Answer 8

Don't be discouraged by a few rude individuals. Most of them take advantage of being anonymous to spout off rude remarks. Often a person's true self is revealed when they "feel" no one knows who they are not realizing that their IP addresses and screen names can be traced.

Just keep on asking your questions and some decent people will hopefully respond. I do suggest that all medical problems be discussed with a physician if you are concerned.

Answer 9

I'm not a doctor.

I'm afraid someone will take my OPINION as a medical FACT and act on it and get hurt.

I think it's important to let people know we are not a substitute for health care.

On the other hand, we can help one another with our experiences and there is no need to be rude.

Answer 10

There will always be rude people. I ignore them and don't let them affect how I feel or think. If you let them bother you, that gives them power. Take care, and don't worry about them. Ask what you need to ask. Usually there will be at least a few sensible answers.

Answer 11

You have to understand not everyone thinks that giving advice is something. Being rude for some is just as natural as being nice for others. Don't take it personal. Just disregard all unwarranted remarks.