Like reading bad news affects the health?

Don't know about you, but I have the daily viewing of the news feed sometimes is associated with a real Apocalypse. Judge for yourself: on 20 April the head of the world health organization (who), Tedros of Ghebreyesus , that “the worst effects of the pandemic is yet to come”; dormant volcanoes across the planet ; in the exclusion zone of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant recently was the raging fires (fortunately, they managed to put out), and the upcoming economic crisis like the icing on the cake, a crowning him the next «end of times». But how will this news affect health? Scientists believe that during a pandemic CoVID-19 reading bad news can lead to decreased immunity. Let me remind you that the immune system is our main weapon in the fight against the pandemic of the novel coronavirus.

What is the nocebo effect?

Horror stories about CoVID-19 coming in, so to speak, of “all irons”. According to psychologists this may cause the so-called «effect nocebo» (the opposite of the “placebo effect”) – when we feel worse, simply because looking forward to that. Although data on the nocebo effect on the course of the pandemic do not exist today, it is possible that it is quite common. About what I said in my previous article.

Writes , in 2018 the results of a study published in the journal showed that people living in countries with a large number of queries about the side effects of statins drugs to combat high cholesterol in the blood is more likely to have reported their intolerance. The authors concluded that the impact of online information has contributed to these adverse effects.

Nocebo and placebo – two sides of the same effect?

However, I would not write off all on the Internet. The fact that both effects as placebo and nocebo are probably part of human nature. So, one of the clearest examples of the nocebo effect, bordering on hypochondria, described in the works of Jerome K. Jerome “Three men in a boat not counting the dog” when the main character went to the British Museum to read about the ways treatments some trifling illness, such as hay fever (pollen Allergy):

I wanted to know what I'm still sick. I read about St. Vitus's dance and learned, as one would expect with this disease. Intrigued by his condition, I decided to investigate it thoroughly and began to read in alphabetical order. I read about ataxia and found out that recently contracted it and that the acute phase will come in two weeks. Britboy disease I suffered luckily in the form of light and thus can live for many years. I had diphtheria with serious complications, and cholera I, apparently, was ill from early childhood.

I faithfully worked on all twenty-six letters of the alphabet and found that the only disease that I have, is an inflammation of the kneecap.

In considered the death 28 169 adult Americans of Chinese descent in California. The study authors found that those who believed that their astrological year of birth made them more susceptible to disease, died much earlier, 1.3-4.9 years, than people of the same sign born in other years. The researchers came to the conclusion that mortality is influenced by “psycho-cultural factors” (belief in Chinese astrology).

Coronavirus and nocebo effect

Positive test CоVID-19 in combination with the initial symptoms of a cold and disturbing news about the pandemic in the media can exacerbate a cough, fever, pain and shortness of breath. The shock of negative information can even hasten death in severely ill patients, exacerbating cardiovascular disease or affecting the respiratory system, has been attacked by virus SARS-CoV-2. Is it any wonder that at the first minor cold symptoms and seek help where it's almost a sure catch CoVID-19 or anything else. The rules of self-isolation and social distancing, which are associated with disease and death, can also aggravate the consequences of the disease for the body.

pay attention to yourself, to not have to take medicine

And yet, today, scientists understand more and more how the nocebo effect. So, negative information from a reputable source can cause the development of some symptoms, e.g. pain or shortness of breath. In this case, the cause of the symptoms can become the expectation. Responsible for certain neurotransmitters – chemicals in the brain that cause increased sensitivity to pain and other unpleasant symptoms. the Fear and anxiety intensify this process.

A Study that compared aspirin and sulfinpirazon for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, showed that patients who reported side effects due to the occurrence of side effects. Later, dozens of other studies have shown that negative effects are smaller when patients about they didn't say anything. Of course, infuture scientists explore in detail the influence of the nocebo effect on the course of the pandemic, but for now let us read less negative news, after all, regularly published interesting articles about the latest discoveries from the world of science and high technology, which you will not find on the website.

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