The National Institute of Health says to be on the lookout for scams involving health care, especially over the counter medications and wonder pills. Marketing of unproven cures have been around for decades and these days there are more channels than ever to sell untested products: television, radio, magazines, and buzz marketing are primary ways to separate you from your hard earned money. However, health care scams have exploded since the advent of the Internet. Entire websites are now dedicated to miracle cures spinning tales of immediate magic with no effort required—and all you need is a credit card! No wonder billions of dollars are wasted on these spurious products every year.
These types of scams usually take advantage of people who are frightened and living in pain. Recovering from or living with a chronic condition is hard and it is easy to see why people might fall for a slick marketing campaign touting a quick cure. Here are three popular product scams found on television and the Internet to watch out for:
Anti-aging medications: Currently, no treatments exist that have been shown to reverse or even slow down the aging process. The best way to look and feel younger is to eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly. Quitting smoking can also shave years off of your appearance and extend your life by decades.
Arthritis: Because symptoms of arthritis are often intermittent, it can be easy to get fooled about a particular remedy. Many Internet companies claim that magnets, copper bracelets, and other products will cure arthritis. Testimonials from individuals that claim to have been cured may just be experiencing a normal rise and fall of symptoms. It is important to remember that there is no cure for most forms of arthritis and pain management is sometimes the only course of action.
Dietary supplements: Dietary supplements account for billions of dollars every year in the United States. Generally sold over the counter, they contain exotic sounding herbs and compounds such as horny goat weed, CoQ10, and taurine. These products are not evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and undergo little clinical trial except for proprietary testing by the manufacturer.
To protect yourself from these expensive scams, it is imperative that you consult with your doctor or local High Desert certified and accredited home health care providing agency.
