#32 The placebo effect (English)

The Placebo Effect

 We often hear people say, "it's all in your head," when we complain or feel sick for example. But what if this statement turned out to have some truth behind it ?

The placebo effect is a term used to describe a situation where a fake treatment, can improve patient's condition because they believe that they are receiving a treatment. It can however also cause a patient to feel worse. For example if they are constantly told that they look sick, they will start to believe it themselves and therefore actually start to feel ill.

Placebos are used during studies to help researchers understand the effect a treatment or drug might have on a certain condition. In order to show this, some people are given the real drugs while others receive a substitute enabling the researchers to look out for effectiveness and even side-effects. Placebos, as mentioned before can have positive or negative effects or even no effect at all. They are said however to have an effect on conditions such as depression, sleep disorders and pain. This is because the placebo effect focuses on the relationship between the mind and body. The main theory states that it is all due to our personal expectations. For example when a person has a headache they may decide to take a painkiller. The individual expects to feel better and therefore even if they were not given real medication; it is possible that their body's own chemistry can cause similar effects to that of the painkiller.

One study demonstrating the placebo effect involved individuals with asthma. Although the people who used the placebo inhaler did not do any better on breathing tests than those who had used the real inhaler, when asked how they perceived the treatment they revealed that they felt the same amount of relief as they did when using the médicine.

 

MCA