I’m sure you have heard the popular saying “laughter is
the best medicine”. Many people understand laughter to
be an action that is performed when they are happy
and something that makes them feel good, but laughing
is so much more than that. Laughter is a contagious
emotion and a natural medicine.
Since a medicine is a something that promotes healing,
treats or cures a disease, can laughter treat diseases?
And if yes, what diseases can be treated with laughter?
These questions will be answered shortly.
Before I delve further, I would like to relate to you
the story of Norman Cousins. Norman Cousins was a
renowned journalist and world peace advocate, who was
diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis, a degenerative and
debilitating disease of the spine, in 1964 (Although it is
now thought that his illness was more likely a different
form of reactive arthritis and not really ankylosing
spondylitis). The doctors told him he had few months to
live. However Cousins was an optimist, he checked into
a hotel room and spent hours watching comedy movies.
The result, Cousins was eventually cured of his illness
and went on live for 26 years longer than the doctors
expected.
Laughter is very beneficial to the body and many people
have written about its numerous health benefits. But
today you’ll learn something new, which are the diseases
that have been medically shown to be treated with
humour or laughter.
Can laughter cure diseases?
Laughter alone can’t cure an ailment, but it provides
manifold physical and mental health benefits to the
body. It can also be used to alleviate several disease
conditions.
How then does laughter improve your health? Whenever
you laugh you set of mechanisms in your body that
enhances your physiological and psychological health.
Some of them are;
Laughter reduces cortisol levels in the body. Cortisol also
known as stress hormone, is released when the body is
mentally or physically stressed. An increase in this
hormone will lead to high blood pressure or heart
diseases.
Laughter also boosts the immune system, by increasing
the number of antibodies in the bloodstream. There are
other benefits of laughter to body. So now, let’s find
out the diseases that laughter can treat.

1. Cancer

The first disease on the list is cancer. I know you might
be wondering how laughter can help in treating cancer,
but relax you are about to learn something interesting.
First of all, having a good laugh can prevent cancer,
because intense physical or mental stress can weaken
our immune system. And a weakened immune system is
one of the major causes of cancer.
Secondly, the act of using laughter to improve overall
health and wellbeing is called the laughter therapy.
Laughter therapy has been used in the treatment of
cancer, how so? Laughter induces physiological and
biochemical changes in our body that have an astounding
effect on the development of cancer.
By integrating laughter therapy along with the
conventional cancer treatments, the overall healing
process from cancer is greatly increased. Laughter
therapy for cancer patients is used to increase their
positive thoughts, combat their negative thoughts and
enhance their mental wellbeing, as well as inducing
physical changes.
At the Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA),
this laughter therapy is extensively used. They offer
humour therapy sessions or laughter club , to help
cancer patients and their families use and enjoy laughter
as a way to enhance the healing process. The patients
don’t even need to fInd anything funny to genuinely
laugh about because the therapy uses fake or forced
laughter, which works. This is because whenever the
patient laughs the brain releases endorphins, which acts
as the body’s natural painkiller, and mood enhancer.

2. Depression

Depression is a mental illness, that negatively affects
thoughts feelings and actions. Depressed people normally
have negative thoughts and are emotional weighed down.
However, depression can be prevented, treated and
diagnosed with laughter therapy.
There are many methods for treating depression, but
laughter therapies are fast gaining ground as an
effective treatment. Laughter yoga or laughter exercises
is one of the ways laughter is used to treat depression.
Laughter yoga incorporates yoga techniques, breathing
exercises and playful laughter to treat depression and
other mental or emotional problems.
Laughing with other people is one of the best way to
combat depression with laughter as it improves our
mood through social connection and an increased feeling
of belonging. Laughing with friends can decrease
feelings of alienation and lowers our risk for depression.

3. Eczema

Laughter and humour have also been shown to improve
the condition of people with eczema.
In a clinical study of 20 patients with atopic eczema,
dermcidin (DCD)-derived peptide, an antimicrobial peptide
found in the sweat gland, was found to be decreased in
these patients. However, after viewing a humorous
video, the patients had increased level of DCD.

4. Insomnia

Insomnia is a sleeping disorder characterised by irregular
sleep patterns and the inability to sleep properly.
Laughter can be used to treat insomnia in many people.
Laughing causes the body to produce more melatonin, a
hormone released by the brain that helps you sleep
better.
Scientific research has also shown that laughter can
improve sleep patterns and is an effective treatment
for insomnia. Guffawing in the evening, or just before
going to bed will help you have sound night rest.

5. Post-traumatic stress disorder

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a condition that
develops following some stressful situation or event. The
symptoms are sleep disturbances, recurrent nightmares
and lack of concentration.
Laughter is a great way to deal with PTSD it can uplift
your spirit and help you vanish negative thoughts.
Laughter therapy is also used to treat PTSD in people
who have been in difficult circumstances, like soldiers or
abused people.


Conclusion
I acknowledge that laughter is not a miracle panacea,
but has a lot of wonderful benefits to the human body.
Always seize every opportunity to laugh, watch comedy
movies, joke with friends and loved ones. You can even
fake a laughter, when you are sad or angry and feel
much better.
I hope you’ve learned something worthwhile today and
that you determined to increase your daily dose of
laughter. Remember “a laughter a day keeps the doctor
at bay”

https://www.naij.com/1066339-5-diseases-can-treated-laughter.html?source=category_health_page

Very nice and educative post OP...


Laughter is indeed "the best medicine".


I noticed that you didn't mention one critical information about laughter. YOU DID NOT MENTION "ENDORPHINS".

Laughter (apart from exercise and a few others) is the major way to induce the release of Endorphins.

What are Endorphins? Endorphins are the body's natural opiates designed to relieve stress and enhance pleasure. IT'S ONE OF THE HUMAN BODY'S FEEL GOOD CHEMICALS.

It is released in response to pain and
stress and helps to alleviate anxiety and
depression.

Similar to
morphine, it acts as an analgesic and sedative,
diminishing our perception of pain.

Endorphins can only be measured by a body's pain resistance and stress-resistance capacity as it does not cross the blood-brain barrier to be picked up in the circulating blood. It's direct measurements within the brain's blood flow is tough to establish BUT WHAT IS CLEAR IS ENDORPHINS ARE THE MAJOR CHEMICALS RELEASED DURING A GOOD LAUGH OR VERY GENUINE SMILE WHICH SETS THE TONE FOR ONE'S BODY TO WARD OFF OR SHAKE OFF VARIOUS KINDS OF ILLNESSES AND DISEASES.

The Science behind Laughter is truly kinda weird but it's absolutely magical and remarkable.




In truth, finding several
things to laugh at during the day is a great way
to keep the doctor away.

TheSuperNerd:
Very nice and educative post OP...


Laughter is indeed "the best medicine".


I noticed that you didn't mention one critical information about laughter. YOU DID NOT MENTION "ENDORPHINS".

Laughter (apart from exercise and a few others) is the major way to induce the release of Endorphins.

What are Endorphins? Endorphins are the body's natural opiates designed to relieve stress and enhance pleasure. IT'S ONE OF THE HUMAN BODY'S FEEL GOOD CHEMICALS.

It is released in response to pain and
stress and helps to alleviate anxiety and
depression.

Similar to
morphine, it acts as an analgesic and sedative,
diminishing our perception of pain.

Endorphins can only be measured by a body's pain resistance and stress-resistance capacity as it does not cross the blood-brain barrier to be picked up in the circulating blood. It's direct measurements within the brain's blood flow is tough to establish BUT WHAT IS CLEAR IS ENDORPHINS ARE THE MAJOR CHEMICALS RELEASED DURING A GOOD LAUGH OR VERY GENUINE SMILE WHICH SETS THE TONE FOR ONE'S BODY TO WARD OFF OR SHAKE OFF VARIOUS KINDS OF ILLNESSES AND DISEASES.

The Science behind Laughter is truly kinda weird but it's absolutely magical and remarkable.




In truth, finding several
things to laugh at during the day is a great way
to keep the doctor away.

That nice bro.
More gresae to your elbow