They
say he who laughs last laughs the longest, and according to several sources,
that may as well be true. [1]The effect of laughing has been linked
to blood vessel expansion in our blood flow and can explain why people with a
better sense of humor have a longer chance of longevity. It’s a universal
feeling of contentment when we laugh, even if the joke is on ourselves.
Not
to forget the concept of ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’ but [2] Dr.
Michael Miller, professor of medicine at the University of Maryland believes
that a good laugh along with regular exercise and a good diet can greatly
increase blood flow. In a study featuring 300 perfectly healthy men and women,
they were shown clips of a comedy movie one day and a more stress inducing clip
of an action movie another. [3]The difference was that when they
were watching the stress inducing clip, their blood vessel lining constricted,
reducing blood flow. This proves there is a link between mental stress and
blood vessels constricting. In contrast, when the volunteers were shown funny
clips, the blood vessels expanded, the same way they expand during cardio work
outs. [4]There was a
30-50%difference in diameter of the vessels between laughing and stressing. This
also shows how emphatic people can be.
It’s
hard to laugh when you can’t breathe, so imagine being diagnosed with chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD and still laughing heartily at whatever
comic is on comedy central. [5] The center for disease control and
prevention say that COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in the US and
over 12 million suffer from it. Those affected have an increased chance of
becoming depressed and suffer from anxiety. [6]Research has already
suggested that laughing can improve any mood and strengthen immune function. It
can also help expel stale air from the lungs. So after a study done by [7]Kim
Lebowitz Feingold of Ohio State, patients with COPD who laughed at the funny
clips shown to them had fewer sick days, but in a twist in the study, those
patients who laughed more had more air trapped in their lungs because of
reduced usage. Obviously those with COPD have more sick days so this study was
a good start towards overcoming it. Maybe in time, all the patients will need
just medicine and a few hours of comedy central. Optimism can go far.
Laughter
releases endorphins, the body’s natural painkiller, and suppresses epinephrine,
the stress hormone. [8] Studies have shown that it can increase the
number of T-cells which attack viruses, increases gamma interferon, a blood
chemical that effects the nervous system and immune system. It can also help
patients with disabilities cope with their illness. [9]Carol Swell
(1996) interviewed Patty Wooten, owner of Jest
for the health of it! a business that helps with therapeutic humor
programs, observed that people who laughed at disability-related cartoons had
already come to terms with what they have. Not every joke is appropriate
though, everyone heals through laughter at their own pace. And not everyone is
in the mood to laugh after they’ve gotten terrible news. When dealing with
depressed patients, [10]Wooten is still the optimist.
“What they're going to have to look a little closer
for is the joyful moments, the playful moments. I encourage them to believe that
it's still possible to laugh.”
It
doesn’t take a genius to know that laughing is good for you, not just your body
but your state of mind, and laughing at yourself could show some humility and
bring down some people’s egos. [11]For example, in 2009 Comedy
Central’s longest running show, South park spoofed celebrity rapper, Kanye West
as an arrogant, belligerent, jerk who didn’t get the play-on words of the fish stick
joke one of the boys had come up with, and gets frustrated with everyone
calling him a gay fish. [12]Kanye wrote on his blog that the episode
hurt his feelings but he’s working on his ego and thought the episode was
hysterical. Laughing at yourself is just as important because no one like a person
who has an overblown ego, or someone who can’t take a joke.
Personally,
I think there’s more to it than just a good laugh. After a tough day at work or
school, most people relax by over eating to cope with a bad day. It almost
seems like unwinding in front on the TV is healthier than eating a massive meal
to make up for all the times you were hungry throughout the day. Sitcoms have a
way of lifting the spirits. It’s not the most conventional thing to use as
medicine, it certainly won’t cure cancer or anything but because the research
is so young, it’s nice to see doctors and scientists thinking out of the box. Work
Cited
[1-4]
European
Society of Cardiology (ESC) (2011, August 28). Laughter has positive impact on
vascular function. ScienceDaily.
[5-7]
Ohio
State University (2011, August 2). COPD patients with sense of humor feel
better, but laughter may be bad for lungs. ScienceDaily
[8-10]
sowell,
C. (1996). mdausa.org. Retrieved from http://www.mdausa.org/publications/Quest/q34laughter.html
[11-12]
http://rapnewscenter.blogspot.com/2009/04/kanye-wests-reaction-to-south-park.html.
(2009, april 19).
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