By Carol A. Cates, MSN, MBA, RN
Chief Nursing Officer
Odessa Regional Medical Center
I am a very proud Texas Aggie from a family of Aggies. Both of my brothers are Texas Aggies, and my Dad is a Montana Aggie. One of the things I love best about Aggies is the self-deprecating humor of Aggie jokes. No one tells a better Aggie joke than an Aggie! On that, here is my all time favorite. An Aggie is driving down a country road and looks out the window to see another Aggie in the middle of a field in a rowboat, rowing madly. The Aggie slams on the brakes, gets out of the car and yells, “It’s Aggies like you that give Aggies like me a bad name…and If I could swim, I’d come out there and slap you!” I am telling you this ridiculous joke and talking about humor month in a column that is dedicated to health care topics because laughter in many, many ways really is the best medicine.
There is a huge amount of research out there about humor and laughter being good for you. Laughter releases endorphins that bind to the same receptors that opiate medications bind to. People who laugh experience much of the same euphoric “high” that narcotics can produce. Laughter can also reduce pain for the same reason. Laughter forms social bonds. The endorphin release in a group promotes a feeling of safety. That is part of why laughter is contagious, even when a person isn’t completely sure why others are laughing. Laughter improves brain connectivity. Even small children can tell the difference between a genuine joyous laugh, a taunting laugh, or other types of laughs. Those different laughs affect different parts of the brain, and that interconnectivity helps improve brain function overall. Laughter is strongly linked to good relationships. Women consistently rank laughter and a good sense of humor as a top three requirement in a mate, men relate relationships that include a large amount of laughter as stronger than those where the laughter is less. Laughter has a similar effect to antidepressants. Not only does laughter cause the release of endorphins, it causes the release of serotonin, which is the same chemical many antidepressants work to raise, so laughter, at least for short periods of time can help with feelings of depression. Finally, there is well documented evidence that laughter has an anti-inflammatory effect that helps protect blood vessels and the heart muscle from the damage of cardiovascular disease. Researchers don’t know exactly why, but most of the theories feel that because laughter helps reduce stress and causes the release of the “happy” chemicals (endorphins and serotonin) it helps decrease the inflammatory effects of stress on the heart.
From a strictly medical standpoint, healthcare professionals that laugh with their patients tend to have stronger relationships with those patients. Humor and laughter can ease the tension that arises from the difficult topics that patients and their providers often must discuss. Research shows that when the relationship between a patient and their provider is strong, it is easier for patients to bring up things that cause them anxiety or frustration in their diagnosis and treatments. That ability to express those emotions make it easier for both parties to overcome those barriers and find good solutions for the person’s healthcare. Humor has been shown to increase the communication between healthcare providers and patients in many ways, for instance, it has been shown to greatly decrease miscommunications due to culture or personal value differences.
I am not saying next time you go visit your health care provider you need to act like a stand-up comedian, but I do think people need to know its okay to laugh with your doctor, nurse, or other health professional. I think sometimes people think that if they laugh with their healthcare providers, their health care provider will think the person is not taking their health seriously but, the opposite is probably even more true. If you laugh with your healthcare provider, it shows you are taking your healthcare very seriously because you value the relationship you have with your healthcare provider. We know laughter builds stronger relationships, and when people have a strong relationship with their health care providers, they have a much better chance and preventing and controlling disease. Please celebrate National Humor Month this April by laughing every chance you get, and including your primary healthcare provider on the list of people you laugh with.
