Feeling off-colour? Don’t ask Dr Google about your ailment: your search will return page after page of the modern equivalent of snake-oil salesmen and quack medical forums. We’ve selected 10 tried-and-tested sites where you can find genuine medical advice, although you should always consult your doctor if in doubt.

1 NHS.uk

The excellent companion site to the NHS’s phone line focuses on in-depth information and topical guides: hay fever and swine flu are now top of the list. It’s easy on the eye, ad-free and simple to use. It’ll either put your mind at ease or tell you to call a doc, pronto.

2 WebMD.com

America’s top health site boasts 17m users a month and is easy to use — equal parts potential lifesaver and hypochondriac heaven. A great feature is the review of prescription medicines by other users.

3 NetDoctor.co.uk

This long-established site packages videos, forums and advice, as well as the malingerer’s best friend: a description of every ailment (and its symptoms) known to man.

4 MedicineNet.com

Particularly recommended for its photo slideshows, which can, for example, help you identify insects and their bites and give you a masterclass in birthmarks.

5 ExerciseTV.tv

Many sites try to charge for their workouts, but you can get them free here. ExerciseTV is tailored towards, but not exclusively for, women — there are plenty of videos aimed at men wanting to look good in a T-shirt.

6 RealAge.com

You need to register (free) and dodge the occasional question designed to sell you stuff you don’t need, but once you get going this site lets you input personal data before it gives a verdict on how old you “really” are, based on your lifestyle. You need info on your blood pressure and cholesterol levels to hand.

7 MedHelp.org

This claims to be the world’s largest

health “community”, and its forums are among the liveliest online, with topics on almost anything you can think of. Once registered, you can send a question to the site’s resident doctors.

8 ChooseAndBook.NHS.uk

The electronic bookings and referrals system for England promises a choice of at least four hospitals or clinics for any medical appointment. A useful jumping-off point for investigating the statistics of local hospitals.

9 eMC.medicines.org.uk

Mislaid your prescription leaflet and need to know if that swelling on your ear is a known side effect or not? Search the EMC database of 6,500 medicines, all with downloadable PDFs of the original sheets. Also searchable by active ingredient and dosage.

10 MaleHealth.co.uk

A good site run by a charity, the Men’s Health Forum. We dare you to read the vasectomy diary without involuntarily crossing your legs.

Do you have a topic you’d like to see covered? E-mail us at topten@sunday-times.co.uk.

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