IN A surprising twist, researchers have found that laughing might just be as effective as eye drops for treating dry eye disease.
The study, published in The BMJ, suggests that instead of reaching for eye drops, you might just need to crack a few jokes to keep your eyes moist.
Dry eye disease is no laughing matter, affecting around 360 million people worldwide with symptoms like scratchy, irritated eyes.
But this study suggests that laughter therapy could offer much-needed relief.
Researchers gathered 283 participants, handed half of them 0.1% sodium hyaluronic acid eye drops, and told the other half to laugh like their lives - and their eyes - depended on it.
The laughter group watched a video and repeated the phrases "Hee hee hee, hah hah hah, cheese cheese cheese," 30 times, while a face recognition app made sure they were really getting into it.
The eye drops' group, on the other hand, just applied their medication four times a day like ordinary folks.
After eight weeks, both groups showed improvement, with the laughers seeing nearly the same benefits as those using eye drops.
Plus, the chuckling crew reported better tear stability, healthier eye glands, and a boost in mental health.
It turns out, laughter really might be the best medicine, at least for your eyes.
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 13 Sep 24
To see the full newsletter, see the embedded issue below or CLICK HERE to download Pharmacy Daily from 13 Sep 24
