Nocebo Effect When media reports make you sick

Media reports can cause disease symptoms

03/05/2013

Media reports about allegedly harmful substances actually cause symptoms of illness in some people. Researchers found out that the pain-processing brain regions were actually activated in the case of Betroffen. Experts speak of the so-called „Nocebo effect“.

Nocebo effect can cause real discomfort
The media is full of reports of supposedly deadly viruses, dangerous electrosmog, and many other health-threatening things. Many people are afraid of these health dangers - so much so that they develop disease symptoms solely on the basis of media reports. Then the so-called „Nocebo effect“, the opposite of the „Placebo effect“ describes. While at the „Placebo effect“ causes a positive effect on the health due to taking actually ineffective drugs causes the „Nocebo effect“ Complaints solely on the basis of media reports and the resulting negative expectations of those affected.

This is also confirmed by an investigation by Dr. med. Michael Witthöft from the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz (JGU), who during a research stay at London's King's College, worked together with G. James Rubin on the phenomenon of electromagnetic hypersensitivity. Magnetic resonance tomography proved that the pain-processing brain regions were actually activated in affected persons. „However, there are many indications that electromagnetic hypersensitivity is a so-called nocebo effect, "reports Witthöft. „The mere expectation of damage can actually cause pain or discomfort, as we know it vice versa in the area of ​​pain-relieving effects of placebo effects. "

Media reports can make you sick
For the study, a part of the 147 subjects was shown a report that dealt with the health risks of WLAN and mobile radio signals. The other study participants, however, saw a report on the security of Internet and mobile phone data. Afterwards, all subjects were told that they would next be exposed to an alleged Wi-Fi signal for 15 minutes. As a result, 54 percent of the subjects reported symptoms such as lack of concentration, anxiety and anxiety. The subjects, who had previously seen the report on the health risks of WLAN signals, develop the most common disease symptoms. Two volunteers even had to stop the experiment because of severe symptoms, if there was no radiation at all.

„Tests have shown that those affected could not distinguish whether they are actually exposed to electromagnetic fields and that their symptoms can be triggered just as much by a sham exposure as by real radiation, "says Witthöft.
The phenomenon of „Nocebo effect“ was initially observed in drug trials when study participants suffered from putative side effects, although they did not get a drug but a placebo.

The study by Witthöft and Rubin shows what impact lurid and often unscientific media reports can have on the audience. „It is imperative that science and the media cooperate more closely and strive to ensure that reports on, for example, possible health risks of new technologies are published as truthfully as possible and to the best of their knowledge, "Witthöft says.

Also read:
Pain can be a matter of the mind
How the placebo effect can work