Quackery and quacks, best avoided

Quackery is defined as false pretense to medical skill, knowledge or qualification. Quacks are all over the place, promoting unsubstantiated medical interventions that lack a scientifically plausible rationale.

A quack may however be scientific in some aspects. They may even front products and procedures that can be useful for some purposes, but completely worthless in other respects.

You need to be wary of quacks, their drive has more to do with profit than your health.

Why do quacks thrive?Faced with the prospect of chronic suffering, deformity or death, many individuals are tempted to try anything that offers relief or hope.

The terminally ill, the elderly, and various cultural minorities are especially vulnerable to health frauds and quackery. Many intelligent and well-educated individuals resort to worthless methods, procedures and medications, with a falsified belief of effectiveness. Victims of quackery are too trusting, desperate and sometimes want to believe in magic.And the never too distant cultural practices sometimes pull us away from modern medicine to quackery.

There are many examples of quackery. Ads are everywhere about magic pills that cure all diseases, love portions that are a panacea for all sexual ills, and whatever other concoctions you can think of. And it doesn’t stop there. There are all sorts of sales people trying to sell you stuff meant to complement your health.Supplements are available for multitudes of conditions, but are hardly beneficial if you are already in good health. Curious practices come aplenty: umpteen detox regimes, body balance, nerve energy and even harmony with nature.Some are just utopian, and their implied successes are almost impossible to measure.

You may also be unfortunate to contend with quackery in modern medical services as well. We have all heard of some healthcare workers going beyond their depth and carrying out unlicensed procedures. Others may even offer treatment options that are outdated and deemed unsafe. Medical licensing helps to some extent, but determined quacks will still escape the net and continue to quack.

So how can you save yourself from quacks? Don’t let anything cloud your judgment when looking for quality healthcare.Quackery seldom looks outlandish from the

outset. But there are always some clues.

Ignore practitioners bombarding you with multiple supplements, or cure-all remedies. Avoid anecdotal testimonials of curative practices or unorthodox remedies. Some testimonials of secret cures are plain fabrications. If in desperate situations with incurable diseases, resist the temptation to stray from scientifically sound healthcare.

Consulting a formally recognized expert is what you want.

There are various theories why bogus therapies seem to work. The disease may have run out its natural course, psychological perceptions can get distorted, or there may be temporary relief. What you must look for is rational scientific basis of health interventions. Don’t subject yourself to populist quackery, which at best may turn out to be an expensive fad.

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