Don't be too rash in your diagnosis

Dear PropellerHeads: I have a mysterious rash slowly spreading across my body. I think I might have scabies, or lupus, or mad cow disease. Do you know the best medical sites that might be able to help me diagnose this before it's too late?

A: Well, first let me say, you have come to the right place. There is no better resource for health advice than a PropellerHead who spends 12 hours a day sitting a foot away from a glowing monitor in a darkened room, next to a tower of empty soda cans and eating jelly beans from his cargo shorts.

That being said, there are some pretty easy-to-use resources online, so perhaps I can help steer you down the path to health.

I think your first stop should be WebMD (webmd.com). They have a pretty intuitive search function, interesting and relevant front page articles, and nicely organized subsections (for pregnancy, weight loss, cold and flu, etc.).

Where they really get you is their free app, which is home to their Symptom Checker. This features a semi-creepy, not-quite-anatomically-correct (think Ken doll) humanoid where you can specify, age, gender, and location, and then point to the part of the body that is bothering you. You can then specify symptoms from comprehensive lists provided to you, narrow it down with well-thought out questions, and layer symptoms as necessary to get the most specific results.

You will find yourself creating ailments and combinations just to see what happens. A warning, though: although this tool is easy to use and provides a nice starting place for medical research, this PropellerHead has found that almost every combination results in one of the options being cancer, so hypochondriacs beware.

If you want the guts without some of the flash, the Mayo Clinic's site (mayoclinic.com) has an easy-to-use search function and documented articles from the world-renowned clinic are at your fingertips. A quick search for "scabies" turned up a wealth of information on what they are, how you get them, how you treat them, and in-depth details on the prescription drugs used for treatment and other general dermatological problems. By the way, it's gross, and stay home, we don't want any.

If you feel the need to connect with actual experts and get the social network of it all going with your fellow sickies, Sharecare (sharecare.com) might be a good choice. It's free to sign up and you can build your network with doctors and other experts and gain access to their professional opinions about your medical questions. Plus Dr. Oz likes it, so that's really all I need to say.

Looking for apps in addition to the WebMD app, you may want to check out iTriage (itriagehealth.com/mobile). This free app allows you to build a profile for yourself, has a symptom checker, conditions list, and doctor and facilities locators based on specialties and needs. It also has descriptions of tests and treatments so you know what you are getting yourself into when your doctor rattles off a bunch of mumbo jumbo and then says "stat" and people start running.

Once you get your minor skin issue under control, you might feel the need to get away for a while and plan a relaxing trip abroad. Good news for you. The CDC has a website (www.cdc.gov/travel) that lets you know of all health epidemics in a long list of countries, directs you on what vaccinations you need, and may convince you that watching the Lion King in your Snuggie on the couch is preferable to that African safari you have been thinking about. Although some of the information can be scary, it's nice to know the timetables you need to consider before planning a trip and to have talking points before you visit your doctor.

Oh, did I mention you should see a doctor? To quote the critically acclaimed film Tommy Boy:

Tommy: "A lot of people go to college for seven years."

Richard: "Yeah...they're called doctors."

There is a reason we pay these people the big bucks. Go see one. If you behave you might even get a lolly.

When the PropellerHeads at Data Directions aren't busy with their IT projects, they love to answer questions on business or consumer technology. Email them to questions@askthepropellerheads.com or contact us at Data Directions Inc., 8510 Bell Creek Road, Mechanicsville, VA 23116. Visit our website at www.askthepropellerheads.com.