Laugh Your Way to Sharper Vision

Imagine if the remedy for one of the most common eye ailments wasn’t found in a pharmacy, but in your sense of humor.

Discover why researchers say laughter could be the easiest and most joyful prescription for healthier eyes…

Key Takeaways

• Laughter vs. Eye Drops: Laughter therapy outperformed artificial tears, reducing dry eye symptoms and improving tear stability.
• Mental Health Benefits: The laughter group also saw improvements in mental health, highlighting a link between dry eyes and emotional well-being.
• Sustained Results: Unlike eye drops, laughter therapy's benefits lasted up to four weeks after the exercises were stopped.

The Vision-Saving Benefits of Laughter

The idea’s so simple that no one thought of it until now. When you laugh excessively, it brings tears to your eyes, so what could be an easier way to relieve dry eyes than to have a hearty chuckle?

It sounds logical, but would it work in practice? The first-ever trial gave us the answer. The old saying “laughter is the best medicine” is well supported, as abundant evidence shows that laughter can quell depression, anxiety, stress, and chronic pain while improving sleep quality and strengthening immune function.

It’s also used as a complementary therapy for mental health disorders, diabetes, and cancer, among others. Seeing the funny side of life really can aid recovery from illness and even past traumas.

A few small pilot studies in China also found positive outcomes for people with dry eyes. Since volunteers had symptom relief and other improvements from laughing, the researchers thought it was time to step up a level and conduct a randomized controlled trial.

Eight Weeks Of “Ha Ha Ha”

For the trial, they recruited 283 men and women, with an average age of 29, who only suffered from dry eyes. They excluded those with other eye conditions, contact lens wearers, or who were already using some form of dry eye treatment.

All were assessed for symptoms using the ocular surface disease index (OSDI), which gives a score ranging from zero (symptom-free) to 100 (severe) according to the subject’s level of discomfort. This is a standardized questionnaire used to measure the severity of symptoms associated with dry eye disease and the impact of those symptoms on a person's quality of life.

Half were then randomly assigned to take the mainstay treatment of lubricating eye drops (artificial tears) four times a day, while the other half had to mimic laughter thirty times per five-minute session, four times a day.

They did so by repeating out loud: “Hee hee hee, hah hah hah, cheese cheese cheese, cheek cheek cheek, hah hah hah hah hah hah”. To aid their efforts, they watched an instructional video and used a face recognition mobile app to standardize the exercise and exaggerate facial expressions.

All treatments stopped after eight weeks. Researchers assessed participants after a two-week break and again after another two weeks.

Improved Symptoms and Eye Function

The results, published in the British Medical Journal in September, showed that those using eye drops experienced a fall in the OSDI of 8.83 points. But the laughter therapy group had an even better result, with a decline of 10.5 points!

An examination of the eyes showed that the laughter group significantly improved in noninvasive tear break-up time (the time it takes for the first dry spot to appear on the cornea after a blink) and meibomian gland function (the oil glands that help prevent tears from evaporating too quickly).

Moreover, these benefits persisted for at least four weeks after discontinuing the exercise, an effect not seen in those using eye drops. The research team also discovered an improvement in the laughter group’s mental health. This is notable because dry eye disease and mental health are linked, especially as it relates to negative states such as anxiety and depression.

A Terrific Treatment

Professor Nathan Congdon at Queen's University Belfast, who collaborated on the trial, was filled with praise, saying, "My colleagues in China have done a fantastic job showing that simple, no-cost laughter exercises work just as well as eyedrops in combating dry eye. This condition can be extremely debilitating, and the burden is growing all the time as the global population ages.

"Laughter offers a terrific treatment for dry eye, especially in areas of more limited resources, where drops are expensive and may be inaccessible. Further research will only expand the range of physical and mental health conditions for which 'laughter is the best medicine.'"

Other Natural Treatments for Dry Eyes

Aristotelia chilensis, commonly known as maqui, is a blackberry with a high concentration of antioxidants and strong anti-inflammatory activity. It’s been used since ancient times to treat inflammatory problems. Over the last decade, a standardized maqui berry extract taken as an oral supplement has been tested in dry eye sufferers.

A pilot study published in 2014 included 13 Japanese people with moderate symptoms. After two months, there was a significant increase in tear fluid volume, and dry eye symptoms fell considerably.

Another study out of Japan followed five years later. Seventy-four patients aged 30 to 60 with eye dryness, eye fatigue, who used a visual display terminal for at least four hours a day, took either the extract or placebo daily for four weeks.

Today, those troubled with dry eyes have more options than ever. A combination of natural lubricating and anti-inflammatory eye drops together with a maqui berry supplement is among the best solutions.

That’s why Green Valley Naturals has formulated Eye Vitality Plus with Maqui Bright®, a patented and potent maqui berry extract. This revolutionary formula works fast to refresh tired, dry eyes… reduce painful glare… and help your eyes adapt faster to lower light conditions. It also contains lutein and zeaxanthin, which can help your overall eye health.

Summary

A groundbreaking trial has revealed that laughter therapy may be as effective as lubricating eye drops in treating dry eye disease. Over eight weeks, participants who mimicked laughter experienced a significant reduction in symptoms, better tear stability, and improved mental health. These benefits persisted even after discontinuing the therapy, making laughter a cost-effective, accessible solution for managing dry eye symptoms.

Frequently Asked Questions

• How does laughter therapy work for dry eyes? Laughter stimulates tear production, improves tear stability, and enhances the function of meibomian glands, which help prevent tear evaporation.
• Is laughter therapy better than eye drops? The trial showed laughter therapy reduced symptoms more effectively and had longer-lasting benefits compared to artificial tears.
• Can laughter therapy improve mental health? Yes, participants reported better mental health, including reduced anxiety and depression, alongside improved eye function.
• Do I need to laugh naturally, or can I mimic laughter? Mimicking laughter works just as well! Guided laughter exercises were used in the study with great success.
• Is laughter therapy safe for everyone? Yes, it’s a non-invasive, cost-free treatment suitable for anyone with dry eyes.