Illinois Had Some Weird Medical Questions For Google In 2024

After beginning a new year like we just did, it's sometimes fun to look back at the things we said, did, or thought would be a good idea at the time we were doing them. Running to Google to learn more about our symptoms is one of those things we did a lot of in 2024...and many regretted it.

In the interests of full disclosure, I have to admit to doing this...a lot lately.

I've got an issue with a disc in my neck that I've been dealing with for a few months now, so in an effort to learn more about my condition and possible treatment options for it, I turned to Dr. Google for medical information like so many others do.

That might not have been the best idea.

Roughly 5 minutes after starting this process, I was pretty much convinced that I'm a goner. After describing my symptoms, several answers popped up from my search:

• I'm dying
• I'm dead, but no one had the decency to tell me that
• The last execution by the guillotine happened in France in 1977
• A giraffe's neck has the same amount of vertebrae that a human's does

Not at all helpful, but at least the last two entries were interesting.

A Healthcare Staffing Company Decided To Look At Google Search Data To Determine What Health Questions Are On People's Minds From Coast-To-Coast

That company is Soliant Health, and they wanted to know each state's top-searched health concerns are as we work our way through 2024:

To better understand the health concerns Americans are searching for in the new year, Soliant analyzed 2024 Google search data to identify the health queries that each state searches more frequently than any other state and the District of Columbia. The research reveals the illnesses most prominent at the start of the year and identifies early trends in health across the nation.

If you were to guess what Illinois residents were googling most when it comes to health topics, I would be willing to bet that at least a couple of these will surprise you.

Alright, Let's Get To It: Illinois' Strange Questions For Dr. Google

According to the state-by-state breakdown by Soliant.com, Illinois has 5 questions that we most want to know the answers to. Here they are in order:

1. Can you live without a spleen?
2. Why do I drool when I sleep?
3. What causes restless legs?
4. What kills toenail fungus?
5. How to prevent heart disease?

While we're at it, here's what they're asking north of the cheddar curtain in Wisconsin (luckily the answer to 1 out of their 4 questions is "possible bratwurst overdose"):

1. Why is my eye twitching?
2. How to get rid of nausea?
3. Can allergies cause a fever?
4. How to remove ear wax?