Don’t follow TikTok’s advice: the dangers of sinusitis misinformation online
The internet has revolutionised how we access health information, but is relying on Dr Google a good thing?
A new study has evaluated the quality of sinusitis videos on TikTok. Published in Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery earlier this year, UChicago Medicine researchers found that nearly half of the videos viewed contained misleading or inaccurate content from content creators with no medical experience or expertise.
The researchers conducted a comprehensive search on TikTok using popular hashtags like #sinus, #sinusitis, and #sinusinfection, aiming to capture a broad spectrum of content.
Only 55.5% of all videos were categorised as factual, meaning that nearly half contained inaccuracies or misleading content. Videos from medical professionals had the highest proportion of factual content at 84.4%, significantly higher than content from non-medical influencers, which only contained 45.3% of factual information.
Where to source your health information online
“When you’re getting health information online, it’s always important to consider who’s providing it?” ENT surgeon Mr Annakan Navaratnam explains. “Are they a specialist in that area? Are they a generalist? Have they fact-checked everything?”
YouTube recently introduced an accreditation process for health-focused channels as part of its commitment to connecting viewers with health content from authoritative sources.
“A good person to follow on YouTube is Dr Karan Ranjan, a general surgeon in the NHS, who dispels common healthcare misconceptions. He provides high-quality information, debunking popular healthcare facts and exploring things that might sound slightly wacky, but he will then show there’s actually good evidence that they work.”
Sinusitis misinformation and misconceptions
Sinusitis, an inflammation of the sinuses, is a common condition. It’s estimated that 11% of UK adults experience symptoms at any time. Despite its prevalence, many patients opt for self-treatment and look online for guidance.
TikTok is fast becoming the dominant platform for online health information, with an estimated 2.2 billion users predicted by 2027. Its short, catchy video format makes it easier for users to share content and for health misinformation to quickly go viral.
When evaluating the sinusitis videos on TikTok, researchers even noted a trend where individuals inserted whole garlic cloves into their noses to alleviate congestion.
“There are many misconceptions online about sinusitis treatments and even what sinusitis is. Some people think sinusitis is just allergies, some people think it’s just an infection. However, sinusitis is much more complex than that. It ranges from the common cold, which will often resolve on its own, right up to a serious disease related to asthma and other medical problems, or a secondary issue to dental infections and, in some cases, tumours.
“By and large, the treatment for sinusitis should be topical nasal steroids, antibiotics when required and nasal washes,” Annakan recommends. “Anything outside of that can often cause you more problems. Putting things inside your nose, such as garlic, will risk you having a foreign body stuck there and a high chance of infection.”
As well as irritating the nasal lining, the practice also poses the risk of inhaling garlic deep into the nasal passages.
“I have had to take lots of things out of people’s noses that they have used to treat sinusitis, garlic being one, because someone saw a video about it being helpful!”
For more advice on sinusitis treatments, call +44 (0)203 627 2918 or email secretary@annakan.co.uk to arrange a consultation with Mr Annakan Navaratnam.
