The Placebo Effect

Placebo is the often used term in medicine trial from the 17th century. It is actually a fake drug that makes people feel better. A Placebo can usually be water, vitamins or saline water. It has no medicinal property that will contribute in treatment. Rather people show that they have been almost cured of they feel good as if the disease went away.

This happens because of the Placebo Effect. It is an unexplained phenomenon which happens when a patient is given a Placebo faking a medicine to see 8f it affects them psychologically.  In a study conducted in 1996 a few students were given a drug as a painkiller. Their fingers were squeezed to hurt and the medicine was applied. Mostly told the physician that their pain relieved after the drug was applied. But amazingly it was just a Placebo. By 1950s Placebo was used in clinical trials of new drugs and vaccines to see the efficiency of those drugs and vaccine. Also to see how a patient reacts. For an unbiased result of drug trials Placebo was a must. But nowadays for ethical concerns, Placebos aren’t given that way. A patient needing actual treatment should not be given Placebo. But the Placebo Effect  is able to make people feel better. Such as heart problems,  Asthma and even severe pain. A fake surgery can also generate placebo effect. Placebos boost up a patient’s health and give them a positive effect. But is it only psychological or something else? To find out more watch this TedEd video on the Placebo Effect and a lot of your questions will be answered.