Laughter Improves Health Essay example - 2974 Words

Laughter is an essential human phenomenon. Smiling in response to pleasant physical conditions occurs in early development, usually in the first month of life. As a motor reflex, laughter is usually present by the time a child is 4 months old. By the age of eighteen months, a child smiles once every six minutes, and by four years of age, the rate increases to one smile every one and one-third minutes. The ratio of laughs to smiles increases from one laugh to every ten smiles as eighteen months to one every three smile at four years. The individual differences in the rate of both laughing and smiling become greater as the children grow older. (Stearns, 1972) The instinctual development of smiling and laughing occurs very†¦show more content†¦The causes of laughter can be divided into three main groups. One manifestation is laughter as a reflex, such as due to ticking. Another is as a psychosomatic response prompted by a specific stimulus. This is an informative st imulus such as a word, sentence, gesture, action, recollection, situation, etc. This requires the involvement of perception, learning, and memory. This reaction may or may not be terminated voluntarily. The third is again a psychosomatic response, but is differentiated because it is not caused by an adequate informative stimulus and can be terminated voluntarily. Within this categorization, there are different types of laughter: mirthful laughter, pathological laughter, etc. Mirthful laughter, a lesser studied, but highly interesting type will be the focus of this discussion. A commonly held belief is that mirthful laughter and humor result in positive physical, psychological, and social fitness. With such a expansive area of influence, it is difficult to understand how such laughter influences the body. Laughter in healing Studies of the physiology of mirthful laughter, scientifically known as gelotology, are a fairly recent phenomenon. Descriptions of convalescence through positive emotional states have renewed interest in the healing potential of mirthful laughter. Norman Cousins accounts of the therapeutic effects of laughter during his treatment and recovery from ankylosing spondylitisShow MoreRelatedInformative Speech1183 Words   |  5 PagesSpeech Title: Laughter is the best medicine. Specific Purpose: To inform my audience about the benefits of laughter. Central Idea/ Thesis statement: There are several benefits of laughter in terms of physical, mental and social. Introduction 1. Attention Material How we can improve our health without having a drug or doing an exercise every day? While it hears seem impossible, Id like to let all of you know about this fact. Based on your knowledge, what is laughter? AccordingRead MoreBackground: Humor, Laughter And Play Have Been Therapeutic1162 Words   |  5 PagesBackground: Humor, laughter and play have been therapeutic interventions used on pediatric patients for many years. More recently, the use of humor has shown to improve adult patient, outcomes as well. Humor therapy is a complimentary intervention that is used either with or in place of traditional medicine. Benefits of therapeutic humor include biological, and psychological. Humor therapy has also shown to improve nurse-patient relationships and communication. Purpose: The purpose of this studyRead MoreLaughter Is An Essential Part Of Life1370 Words   |  6 Pagesscience and art dealing with the maintenance of health and the prevention, alleviation, or cure of disease† (â€Å"Medicine†). The definition of â€Å"medicine† creates a large gray area in which many items can fall into this category. Therefore, laughing falls into this category as a medicine. Laughter is an essential part of life and has been linked to promote a healthy state of mind and a healthier physical state in humans. What exactly is laughter? Laughter is the body s physiological response to thingsRead MoreArgumentative Essay On Laughter Therapy890 Words   |  4 PagesLaughter Therapy: A Potential Cure to Stressful Living There is an increasing interest in the use of alternative therapy methods compared to those that are more traditional. Various studies have been conducted on laughter and its effects on human health and emotions. Laughter therapy, also known as humor therapy, is one form of therapy that has recently grown in the media and the medical world has even introduced it into some treatment programs. It does not require any specialized preparations andRead MoreLaughter Is the Best Medicine730 Words   |  3 PagesINFORMATIVE SPEECH OUTLINE Topic: Is Laughter Truly the Best Medicine? General Purpose: To Inform Specific Purpose: To inform my audience three main reasons on ï » ¿how can laughter be the best medicine for human ï » ¿ being - physical Health Benefits Thesis statement:  Laughter help trigger the release of endorphins, protect us against heart attack, and relaxes our muscles. Introduction:   Laughter is a great thing, thats why weve all heard the saying, Laughter is the best medicine. There is strongRead MoreBenefits Of Laughter As Medicine1483 Words   |  6 PagesUsing Laughter as Medicine There are thousands of medicines ranging from the modern medicines to those medicines that are not necessarily commonplace, hence the name alternative medicine. The question arises around the idea of what exactly â€Å"medicine† is. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines medicine as â€Å"the science that deals with preventing, curing, and treating diseases†. So with this vague definition what should be considered medicine? I say that laughter is definitely a medicine because ofRead MoreLaughter Is the Best Medicine1282 Words   |  6 PagesLaughter IS The Best Medicine Post written by Dayne. Follow him on Twitter. 20 Happy Comments Be Proud. Laugh Out Loud. Have you laughed lately? If not, get out of your serious self and loosen up. Laughter is a powerful tool for combating stress and conflict.   It can dissipate anger, sadness and other negative emotions.   In addition to making you feel good, laughter can improve your health and make your relationships with others closer and stronger.   There are a wide variety of benefits toRead MoreHumor, Humor And Laughter1607 Words   |  7 Pages â€Å"The term humor can refer to a stimulus, which is intended to produce a humorous response (such as a humorous video), a mental process (perception of amusing incongruities) or a response (laughter, exhilaration).† (11) Laughter is the most common reaction to humor. (11) Both humor and laughter can be valuable assets in the medical field. Medical staff can use humor to make unpleasant routines easier for the patient, to form a positive relationship with the patient, (1) and to gain cooperation inRead MoreWhat is Laughter Yoga?923 Words   |  4 PagesWhat is laughter yoga? Laughing for no reason is the crucial foundation of the laughter yoga. It helps the individual develop a feeling of childlike playfulness, release the stress, enhance immune system, and induce positive thoughts and feelings. Dr. Madan Kataria, the founder of laughter yoga claimed that our body cannot distinguish between the genuine and fake laughter. Hence, though the individual simply laughing without any humors or funny pictures through the unique laughter exercises, theRead MoreUsing Laughter as Medicine696 Words   |  3 PagesUsing Laughter as Medicine The saying â€Å"laughter is the best medicine† is one that many people know. But is this actually true? Can laughter be used as a form of curing the body? With three out of four adults claiming to laugh four or more times a day (Polaroid Corp, 2004) it is something that is obviously easy to do, and of which the answer to the time old question of whether or not it is the best medicine, might surprise many skeptics out there. To laugh is defined as: â€Å"to express certain