1. R E P O R T E D BY : J U N I Z A M A E M A N S U E TO
2. • Placebo effect: Also called the placebo response.
• A remarkable phenomenon in which a placebo -- a
fake treatment, an inactive substance like sugar,
distilled water, or saline solution -- can sometimes
improve a patient's condition simply because the
person has the expectation that it will be helpful.
3. • Expectation plays a potent role in the placebo effect.
The more a person believes they are going to benefit
from a treatment, the more likely it is that they will
experience a benefit.
4. CONTINUATION…
• The placebo effect is a psychosomatic(mental)
phenomenon in which symptoms of a disease or
condition lessen — or even appear to be cured
completely — from the patient being merely exposed
to a treatment, as a result of the body releasing
endorphins
5. FURTHERMORE…
• The placebo effect is quite a complex phenomenon. It
is influenced by a multitude of things, including
positive thought, reduced stress, the intensity or
"drama" of the medical intervention, a patient's
expectations of what the treatment can do, and the
wider cultural meaning of medical treatment.
6. POSITIVE
• However, as the placebo effect is
powered by belief in a treatment
and exposure to it, it can manifest
in individuals to a certain extent.
• • A homeopathic prescription of
water containing a minute
dilution of powdered oyster shell
may bring some improvement to
a patient who has total faith in
the homeopathic method.
NEGATIVE
• A patient who is sckeptical of
homeopathy may experience a
reduced effect or no effect at
all, as demonstrated by James
Randi when he regularly
consumes massive overdoses
of homeopathic sleeping pills
on stage.
7. •If these two hypothetical patients begin to
feel better anyway, the former would be
likely to attribute it to the treatment while
the latter would be likely to dismiss it as just
feeling better anyway.
CONCLUSION
8. PLACEBOPATHY
• To willingly issue placebos, it is not considered ethical
in modern medicine.
• • Placebopathy involves medical professions deceiving
their patients, which is considered bad ethical practice,
and secondly there is a risk in delaying the treatment
of a real condition due to a doctor mistrusting or
underestimating their patient's symptoms.
9. RISKS…
•If a patient complaining of a headache is given
a sugar pill to placate it, and it turns out to be a
serious condition that requires non-placebo
treatment then at the very least this would be a
serious lawsuit waiting to happen.
