Laugh your way to good health
Sep 12, 2013
Twenty years ago, Sarah Jjuma, a mother of seven, had her youngest daughter Sharon down with measles. She was admitted at Kisubi Hospital. For weeks, Jjuma says her daughter just grew weaker and weaker despite the right treatment.
Research has revealed that laughter helps to improve one’s immunity against diseases. Stella Nasunna and Elizabeth Namazzi explain how you can have good health by laughing more
Twenty years ago, Sarah Jjuma, a mother of seven, had her youngest daughter Sharon down with measles. She was admitted at Kisubi Hospital. For weeks, Jjuma says her daughter just grew weaker and weaker despite the right treatment.
“She would become very cold on some nights and she kept getting seizures.
She never wanted to eat or drink anything and she vomited a lot. A girl her age and several other patients died right under my nose from the same disease.
When this happened, I knew that my daughter was next. But, I did not want to go back home with a dead body, so I told the nurse to discharge us after four weeks in the hospital,” Jjuma narrates.
The nurse did not want them to leave, but Jjuma told her she had run out of money to pay for the hospital bills. On reaching home, Jjuma says they found Sharon’s siblings playing and laughing in the compound. They wanted her to join in, but she stopped her because she knew Sharon was weak.
“Sharon and I sat down on the verandah. She then rested her head on my laps. Seconds later, I heard a cry coming from Sharon. I asked her what was wrong. She pointed at her sibling who had fallen down and was covered with mud. I realised she was laughing, not crying,” Jjuma says.
A few minutes later, she told me she was hungry. After eating, she run off to join her siblings to play dodge ball. Day by day her health started improving. Sharon is now 30 years old, and a practicing advocate of Uganda.
Science and Religion
However, Jjuma cannot explain what happened that day because she never gave Sharon any medication. Her guess is that it was a miracle from God.
“I am sure God saved my daughter’s life,” she says. However, some clinical research shows that the body cannot heal on only medication. It needs play or exercise, while the mind needs laughter.
The soul needs joy to heal. The Bible also agrees with clinical findings: “Being cheerful keeps you healthy, it is a slow death to be gloomy all the time.” (Proverbs 17:22)
Physical Health benefits
Laughter boosts the immune system by decreasing stress hormones and increasing immune cells and antibodies that fight infection. “Positive attitude is a good mechanism of fighting off infections,” Paul Nyende, a psychologist reveals. In the 1990s, during his early days as a practitioner, Nyende treated an HIV patient he will never forget.
“He has lived positively for about 20 years, and his secret was not ARVS because they were not accessible at the time.
It was good attitude. He accepted his condition and did not blame anyone. He did not give up on life, but instead lived positively. He joined HIV drama groups and taught others how to live positively,” Nyende says.
Laughter also engages the whole belly and diaphragm area, thus providing exercise to that area. This explains why your tummy and diaphragm hurt when you have a good long laugh. It also reduces stress and tension by relaxing all body muscles for up to 45 minutes.
According to Dr. Vincent Karuhanga of Friends’ Polyclinic in Kampala, when you are positive, humorous and jolly, your body system naturally develops the ability to reduce stress hormones.
It also improves the immunity towards diseases like diabetes and cancer by increasing their natural killer cells (white blood cells).
Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, which is the body’s natural feel-good chemical responsible for promoting the body’s well-being. With endorphins, the body is better equipped to handle pain.
Karuhanga explains that the production of these natural killer cells reduces among people who are stressed, depressed, or worrying a lot, which increases the risk of developing opportunistic infections.
“Laughing alone exercises 27 to 33 muscles of the face, improving the blood supply to the muscles and condition of your facial skin,” Karuhanga says.
He adds that positive and happy people survive facial wrinkles compared to those who keep gloomy and stressed all the time. Such people fight dandruff and peptic ulcers because stress is known to cause them.
Karuhanga says laughter also improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.
He also says humour has physical, emotional and social benefits to a person. Emotionally, he says humour helps one carry on through a stressing day. It also relieves stress and improves mood. Physically, it relaxes tensed muscles that could cause headaches, pain and heart disease.
Nyende adds that socially, homour attracts people to you, helps in defusing conflicts and strengthens relationships. Spiritually, it heals your soul and gives you joy.
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Keep company of people who make you laugh. This helps deal with stress and prevent you from fretting
Mental health benefits
Lifts your mood.
Improves mental wellbeing by reducing fears, stress and anxiety. This improves resilience and the ability to face problems and challenges.
Helps you look at the brighter side of life, which helps you feel less overwhelmed.
Social benefits
Jolly people have better, lasting and more rewarding relationships.
Strengthens marriages and improves marital intimacy.
Better teamwork at work and within the family.
Melts brewing minds and solves conflicts.
Easy ways to laugh
Talk about the good old times, funny school moments and childhood days/games.
Spend time with children for they are some of the funniest people to be around.
Watch comedies for endless bouts of laughter.
Try doing silly and funny stuff, games and activities with people you adore.
Keep stuff that can induce positive thoughts and laughter. For instance, frame funny photos, posters and jokes. Keep funny toys, books, movies and record funny events.
Read jokes, funny books, comic strips and magazines instead of horror novels or sad tales
If ill or nursing a patient, encourage postive and humourous people to visit
Laugh at your embarrassing and annoying moments instead of kicking yourself for your mistakes.
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Ask the expert
How can I maintain a positive attitude on a stressful day?
You have to take control of your emotions by relaxing or looking at your problem in a different way. You could even just choose to ignore your problem. You can also keep positive by choosing to act on your problem to find a solution.
I find no humour in comedy, do I have a problem?
You have no problem. What makes everyone else laugh may not be what makes you laugh. I am sure there are things that you find amusing in life and that is what you should stick to. In psychology, we believe everyone is entitled to be who they are.
How can I laugh alone?
You can try going over the day’s events especially what you said or how you acted. I am sure you could find something to laugh about. If there is nothing to laugh about from your day try watching comedy.
I laugh and smile often, but I do so to cover up my pain, does this also increase my chances of fighting diseases?
Yes, laughing, whether to cover up pain or not, is still beneficial to you. It reduces negative emotions and improves your immune system. It improves your blood circulation and body’s wellbeing. Everyone should make an effort to smile, laugh and to keep a positive attitude.
Are there times when laughing is viewed as a problem?
Yes. Inappropriate laughing could suggest signs of psychological disorder.
Peter Baguma, a psychologist at Makerere University