Nowadays, a growing number of people with health problems are trying alternative medicines and treatments instead of visiting their usual doctor. Do you think this is a positive or a negative development?

There are conflicting views regarding complementary medicine

such

as acupuncture, supplements and traditional medicine.

Although

some values can be recognized, I consider it an undesirable and even alarming sign for our society. Undoubtedly, there are some advantages of these treatments, including the rise in general health consciousness and a chance for patients to have some psychological relief. To illustrate, companies selling supplements usually put great efforts into advertising to promote their products, which unintentionally keeps people aware of certain health risks. A good example will be the Q10 enzyme which helps reduce cholesterol. Let alone the effect of

this

supplement, the public is informed of the danger of cholesterol and how it increases the incidents of cardiovascular diseases.

Moreover

, it has been scientifically proved that alternative medicines can improve patients' symptoms by reducing their anxiety even if the remedy is nothing but a placebo.

Nonetheless

, the underlying danger of people trusting non-evidence-based medicine cannot be underestimated, for sometimes half-truth or false information is delivered to the public, which ends up impacting doctors' authority and hindering normal treatment. Driven by profit, companies tend to exaggerate the benefits of their products and deliberately ignore the side effects, which might trick individuals into accepting unnecessary treatment. Even worse, if people turn to these therapies

instead

of their doctors who have received years of professional training, the likelihood of misdiagnoses will increase, leading to delayed treatment and poorer prognosis. It is not uncommon to hear on the news that some individuals chose traditional or so-called natural therapy for their cancers and regrettably missed the opportunity of receiving chemotherapy and surgery which, in turn, might have saved their lives. In summary, I think governments are obliged to keep strict supervision over these substitutes to prevent them from adversely affecting the medical environment and public health.