If you struggle with health anxiety, three things likely feel true: every symptom must mean cancer, stabbing chest pain signals a heart attack, and Dr. Google will always confirm your worst fears.

Chest pain? Must be your heart. Headache? Surely a brain tumor. A quick search online often leads straight to terrifying conclusions. But in reality, most single symptoms are far less serious than we assume.

Take stabbing chest pains, for instance. While chest pain can be a sign of a cardiovascular event, it often isn’t—especially if it passes quickly, doesn’t involve shortness of breath, or isn’t accompanied by shooting pain down the arm.

One common, harmless condition mistaken for something more serious is precordial catch syndrome. It causes brief, sharp pain in the chest, often during rest, and typically resolves on its own within minutes.

Health anxiety thrives on the fear of the unknown. Every ache feels like a warning, and every Google result confirms it. But context, symptom combinations, and duration matter greatly when evaluating health.

It’s important to approach symptoms calmly and rationally. A trusted doctor—not the internet—can provide the most accurate diagnosis.

Understanding the nature of health anxiety can help ease unnecessary panic. And learning to distinguish between common harmless issues and true red flags is key to peace of mind.

So next time a symptom flares up, take a deep breath. Not everything is an emergency—and not everything needs to be Googled.