Laugh, but don't do mental math!
Okay doc, is laughter really the best medicine?
Let’s see: Two hunters are out in the woods when one of them collapses. He’s not breathing and his eyes are glazed over. The other guy pulls out his cell phone and calls 911.
“I think my friend is dead!” he yells. “What can I do?”
The operator says, “Calm down. First, let’s make sure he’s dead.”
There’s a silence, then a gunshot. Back on the phone, the guy says, “OK, now what?”
If you laughed, you just spoke a universal language – every culture on earth laughs.
I do feel better. But is laughter a medicine that can prevent heart attacks?
People who hardly laugh are more likely to have heart attacks. One study from Maryland showed that 150 heart attack and bypass patients were 40% less likely to laugh during daily situations compared with people of the same age without heart disease. One example of a question these people were asked was:
If you arrived at a party and found that someone else was wearing a piece of clothing identical to yours, would you (a) not find it particularly amusing (b) be amused but not show it outwardly (c) smile (d) laugh or (e) laugh heartily.
Well, being a guy, I’d think the other guy was a genius for choosing the same shirt! Is there another study with more than 150 people?
Yes, over 20,000 Japanese men and women were surveyed about their laughing habits. Those who never or almost never laughed were 21% more likely to have a heart attack and 60% more likely to have a stroke, compared with those who laughed daily.
So I have to walk through my entire day laughing to stop a heart attack? I’m going to get thrown in the mad house.
One study out of of Texas showed that the healthy effects of laughing can last for up to 24 hours. So laughing a few times a day may be all you need.
Interesting observation. How may laughing prevent heart disease?
Cool. I think I need some increased blood flow to my heart right now.
Sure thing. A priest, a minister, and a rabbi want to see who’s best at his job. So they each go into the woods, find a bear, and attempt to convert it. Later they get together. The priest begins: “When I found the bear, I read to him from the Catechism and sprinkled him with holy water. Next week is his First Communion.”
“I found a bear by the stream,” says the minister, “and preached God’s holy word. The bear was so mesmerized that he let me baptize him.”
They both look down at the rabbi, who is lying on a gurney in a body cast. “Looking back,” he says, “maybe I shouldn’t have started with circumcision.”
Hah! Maybe you SHOULD quit your day job. Has anyone really looked at the effects of laughing in humans?
Yes. Blood flow changes can be measured in the arm using a technique called brachial artery reactivity. One researcher showed 20 people the very non-funny opening scenes of Saving Private Ryan. After the dramatic clips, he measured a 47% decrease in arm blood flow – the same reduction seen with anger AND doing math in your head.
Hah! I told my parents math wasn’t good for me. But what did laughing do to arm blood flow?
In that same study, watching funny movie clips from Kingpin and There’s something about Mary increased arm blood flow by 22%. The effects were immediate.
What else about laughing and health can you tell me?
- A six year old laughs about three times more than an adult (See it works – not very may 6 year olds have heart attacks).
- Ten minutes of laughing may be a better way to relax than meditation and calm music.
- Surgery patients shown comedies after surgery, asked for 25% less pain medication (I bet these weren’t operations on the stomach or chest).
- Couples that laugh together are more likely to remain married – and married people have less heart attacks.
Got a parting joke?
Sure. In surgery for a heart attack, a middle-aged woman has a vision of God by her bedside. “Will I die?” she asks.
God says, “No. You have 30 more years to live.”
With 30 years to look forward to, she decides to make the best of it. So while in the hospital, she also gets breast implants, liposuction, a tummy tuck, hair transplants, and collagen injections in her lips. She looks great! The day she’s discharged, she exits the hospital with a swagger, crosses the street, and is immediately hit by an ambulance and killed. Up in heaven, she sees God. “You said I had 30 more years to live,” she complains.
“That’s true,” says God.
“So what happened?” she asks.
God shrugs. “I didn’t recognize you.”
Okay doc summarize it for me.
Eat right, exercise, and laugh daily. Remember the heart healthy effects of laughing last all day. Healthy laughing mostly happens during normal interactions with others. One of the most universal things that gets someone to laugh is watching people in serious situations trying not to laugh. Try this one.
Oh, and before I forget. Don’t drink root beer right before you laugh.
Love the jokes!
These are awesome! Glad the ol’ Dr Nelson turned me on to this article and blog!