QUACKERY

QUACKERY

A Consumer must be cautious about acquiring the services of the people who claim that they have the necessary skills and experience to practice medicine. The reason is because of Quackery.

What is quackery?

Quacks >> are people who perform healing procedures or prescribe remedies for illnesses even without formal education and license. Some of them sell their own products to treat ailments and diseases. While some of them deliberately deceive their patients about their ability to treat illnesses, others practice their crafts with full trust in their competence but openly discuss their limitations.

Possible effects of medical quackery

Person who is terribly ill may die in the hands of quack.A sick person who goes to a quack for treatment instead of a doctor may only be prolonging his illness.Even if no actual healing has been done, the patient get well merely by his/her own faith either in the quack or in the remedies given. This phenomenon is called placebo effect.Money is wasted if the patients condition does not improve.The patients family may only get false hope if the quack assures them of the patients complete healing.

How to identify quacks

They do not put up advertisements. People come to know about their services by word of mouth.Most of them perform their services at their own homes. A few go to the patients home for the treatment.Some claim to have secret formulas which cannot be obtained from drugstores.Some of them perform their services without regard for sanitation. They use apparatus and other materials that have not been sterilized.Some utter unintelligible prayers or incantations while treating their patients.Most of them use the same procedure for all kinds of illnesses.

Who are the usual victims of quackery?

People who have been found to be suffering from serious ailments or diseases like cancer, heart problems etc.People who are afraid of doctors or those who do not want to undergo surgery.People suffering from severe pains.People who give a high premium to beauty or aesthetics.

Health fads >> also called consumer myths or consumer craze that refers to beliefs on health that become popular quickly, stay on briefly, then die down eventually

Some supplementary foods like vitamins and minerals give extra strength and increase the bodys resistance to diseases.Organic or natural foods are better than regular foods available in stores.Wearing copper bracelet can cure diseases.

Possible effects of the following health fads

It can lead to spending money on less important or unnecessary products It can lead to wasteful spending on usually overpriced specialty products.It can lead on spending so much on worthless form of therapies.It can cause harm to the body.

Traditional medicine

>> There are illnesses that can be cured or remedied by traditional practitioners . These practitioners-the albularios and the hilots are usually sought after not only by people in the rural areas but also by those in the urban areas.

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Prepared By:Rey A. MirasolIV-Shakespeare