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The Laughing Cure WebMD Medical

(excerpts)

 

For years doctors have wondered about the benefits of a good laugh. Now researchers are suggesting that a hearty guffaw may well be the best medicine.

 

Next, investigators will examine the nervous and immune system effects of laughter: heart rate, blood pressure, and the presence of the stress hormone cortasol* in saliva, before and after the funny videos.

 

Eventually, the researchers expect to explore whether comedy changes how kids perceive and respond to pain. Ultimately, they want to see if humor can change the kids' actual health, not just their stress hormones. For example, they may measure how fast wounds heal after surgery and how fast white blood cells rebound to their normal levels after being lowered by chemotherapy.

 

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* hy·dro·cor·ti·sone                 Also called cortisol

  1. a steroid hormone secreted by the adrenal glands in response to tissue damage causing inflammation. It is important in the stress reaction and in regulating blood sugar and fat deposition.

 

  2. a synthetic form of hydrocortisone used as a drug to treat inflammatory and allergic conditions and adrenal failure.