It’s long been said that laughter is the best medicine… possibly even for your eyes.
For a study has found that laughing can be just as effective as drops when it comes to dry eyes.
Researchers suggest it could be prescribed as an alternative treatment for the condition which causes red, itchy eyes and affects around one in seven Brits.
Laughter has been linked to a host of health benefits from easing stress and chronic pain to strengthening the immune system.
Scientists from the UK and China set out to assess the effectiveness and safety of laughter exercise in patients with symptoms of dry eye disease.
A study has found that laughing can be just as effective as drops when it comes to dry eyes
Researchers suggest it could be prescribed as an alternative treatment for the condition which causes red, itchy eyes and affects around one in seven Brits
The trial involved 283 people, aged 18 to 45, diagnosed with the condition using the ocular surface disease index (OSDI) score, favoured by the NHS.
They either took sodium hyaluronic acid eye drops four times a day for eight weeks or were assigned a laughter exercise group over the same period.
After watching an instructional video, the laughter group were asked to vocalise and repeat the phrases including ‘Hee, hee, hee’, ‘hah,hah,hah’ and ‘cheese, cheese, cheese.’
They would complete this 30 times per five-minute session, using a face recognition mobile app to standardise the exercise and enhance facial movements.
Both treatments were stopped at eight weeks and any change in eye surface discomfort scores were measured at weeks ten and 12.
The average OSDI score at eight weeks was 10.5 points lower, indicating less discomfort, in the laughter exercise group and 8.83 lower for those using eye drops, suggesting it was more effective.
Laughter exercise also showed significant improvements in other measures of eye health, such as moisture after blinking, oil gland function that help prevent tears from evaporating too quickly and overall mental health.
Writing in the BMJ, the authors from the University of Belfast and Sun Yatsen University in China said it could prove a cheap and effective alternative to drops.
They added: ‘As a safe, environmentally friendly, and low cost intervention, laughter exercise could serve as a first-line, home based treatment for people with symptomatic dry eye disease and limited corneal staining.’
