Prevention
Prevention
Prevention is not only the vaccinations and check-ups your doctor arranges according to the national schedule. It is just as important to protect yourself from unreliable promises: a remedy that does not work can cost you money and the time you need for real treatment, and sometimes it can do harm. Below is a calm plan of action for when someone offers you a "unique" solution to a health problem.
The louder the promise and the fewer checkable details it contains, the more reason to put off buying and talk to a doctor first.
What you will need
- The ad, article or message that describes the product
- A few minutes, so you do not decide on the spot
- A way to find the original source: the name of the study or organisation
- A list of questions for your doctor — it is easiest to write it as you go
- Willingness to postpone the decision until you have seen a doctor
Stop and take your time
Ads often play on emotions: "only three packs left", "today only". A genuine medical method will not vanish overnight, and haste gets in the way of judging the offer soberly.
Hypothetical example: a countdown timer on a sales page is a marketing trick, not a sign that the product is worth anything.
Weigh the scale of the promises
If one product supposedly helps with many unrelated illnesses, that is a serious reason for doubt. Proven methods usually have clear indications and known limitations.
Find out what the ad cites
Phrases like "scientists have proven" and "clinically tested" mean nothing without a named study. Try to find out who tested it, when and on whom, and whether there was a comparison with a control group.
Separate stories from data
Touching recovery stories may be sincere, but they do not show that the product was what helped. The placebo effect and the natural course of an illness explain many such cases.
Hypothetical example: someone starts a remedy at the peak of a cold and is better a week later — which usually happens with no remedy at all.
Check who is behind the offer
See whether the seller gives clear company details and whether they pose as a doctor or medical organisation. Talk of "forbidden knowledge" and a conspiracy of doctors is a hallmark of dishonest advertising.
Compare with official assessments
Scientific and medical bodies have already issued conclusions on many popular methods. For homeopathy, for example, such assessments were published by Australia's NHMRC, the Russian Academy of Sciences Commission against Pseudoscience and NHS England.
Discuss it with your doctor
Show your doctor the ad or describe the product. They may know about risks and interactions the seller keeps quiet about, and can suggest which proven options suit you.
Common traps
- Trusting the word "natural" as a guarantee of safety
- Treating reviews on the seller's website as independent opinion
- Stopping prescribed treatment for a new product without telling your doctor
- Confusing experiments on cells or animals with proven benefit for people
- Trusting a reference to "a scientist" with no named study or institution
- Feeling too embarrassed to tell your doctor you are trying something extra
If you still have doubts
- If you cannot find the original source, treat the claim as unverified and put off buying
- If your appointment is a long way off, write down your questions and bring them to the consultation
- If someone close to you insists on a product, suggest asking a doctor's opinion together
- If you doubt your own doctor's recommendation, get a second opinion from another specialist
Check yourself
- I am not making a decision under time pressure
- I have looked for the original source of the claim, found or not
- I understand whether there was a comparison with a control group
- I can tell personal stories from research results
- I know what official assessments say about this method
- I have discussed the product with my doctor before changing anything
What the ad promises and what to check
| Phrase in the ad | What may lie behind it | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| "Helps with everything" | No clear indication for use | Whether there is research for a specific condition |
| "Clinically proven" | An unnamed or very small study | The study's name, size and design |
| "No side effects" | Nobody looked for side effects | Whether risks and limitations are mentioned |
| "What doctors won't tell you" | An attempt to sow distrust of medicine | The position of the relevant medical bodies |
| "Today only" | Pressure to decide quickly | Whether you can wait until you have seen a doctor |
Related sections
- Research
How to read research: control groups, placebo, systematic reviews and levels of evidence.
- Questions
Questions that help you discuss the benefits, risks and reliability of a particular method with your doctor.
- Methods
Evidence-based medicine, historical doctrines and alternative practices: what is known about them and how they are assessed.
Sources
- WHO — information for patients
- NHMRC — Statement on Homeopathy (2015)
- NHS England (2017)
This page reflects the state of knowledge on the date it was prepared. Scientific assessments and official guidance are revised as new research appears, so make decisions about your health together with your doctor.