Have a severe headache? Pop a pain killer. Feel a bit under the weather? A flu medicine might just do the trick. We might not realize it, but we live in a world that is run by medicines and drugs. While some ailments require actual drugs to cure or ease the pain, sometimes placebos can come in handy.
What are Placebos?
In layman terms, a placebo is a fake medicine. The so called placebos contain the inactive elements of a real drug like sugar, starch, plant cellulose etc. That is why they are often called as sugar pills. So how can a placebo (a fake medicine) relieve your pain? The answer is the placebo effect.
In a placebo effect, the patient expects the pill to work and that sometimes is enough to trick the brain to release dopamine and other vital hormones that have healing powers. So one can say that the major ingredient of a placebo is the belief of the patient. The placebo effect highlights the power of human psychology. Sometimes, even kind and reassuring words from your doctor can have amazing results on your health.
To know more about placebos and how they are slowly overpowering real drugs, watch this video:
