Laughing may be as effective as drops for treating dry eyes, according to a new study. Laughter should be the “go to” treatment for relieving symptoms of the common condition, say Chinese scientists. Their findings, published by The BMJ, are the latest in a series of recent studies to suggest that there may be some truth in the old adage that “laughter is the best medicine”.
The Chinese research team say that laughter exercise could in future be an initial treatment for relieving symptoms of dry eye disease which is estimated to affect around 360 million people worldwide.
Common symptoms include uncomfortable, red, scratchy or irritated eyes. Increasing evidence suggests that laughter therapy alleviates depression, anxiety, stress, and chronic pain, while strengthening immune function.
It is recognised as a beneficial complementary and add-on treatment for various chronic conditions, including mental health disorders, cancer, and diabetes. But, until now, it was not known whether laughter therapy has a beneficial effect on dry eye disease.
Researchers from China and the UK set out to assess the effectiveness and safety of laughter exercise in patients with symptoms of dry eye disease. Their findings were based on 283 participants aged 18 to 45,average age 29, who were assessed for dry eye disease using the ocular surface disease index (OSDI) score.
The participants were randomly assigned to receive laughter exercise or 0.1% sodium hyaluronic acid eye drops four times a day for eight weeks. Participants with existing eye conditions, injury, infection or allergy, and those who had recently used contact lenses or any dry eye disease treatment were excluded.