Laughter: A Chemical Reaction In The Brain

What are emotions? According to dictionary.com, an emotion is, "any strong agitation of the feelings actuated by experiencing love, hate, fear, etc., and usually accompanied by certain physiological changes, as increased heartbeat or respiration, and often overt manifestation, as crying or shaking" (Emotions). It is also defined by the Oxford Dictionary as "a natural instinctive state of mind deriving from one 's circumstances, mood, or relationships with others" (Emotion). Emotions are a chemical reaction in the brain that causes a person to feel a certain way. For example, when the brain releases dopamine, the "pleasure chemical," it causes happiness and can also create a natural high (Hunter). Another chemical that can cause someone

When laughing, blood vessels tend to expand, which sends more blood throughout the body allowing muscles to relax and reduces epinephrine and cortisol which are stress hormones. Laughter can help the body stay at its strongest each day by increasing antibodies in the blood to help fight off disease. Studies have shown that if a person laughs more, they are less likely to become sick with the common cold and other viruses (Poulson). A person that is optimistic sleeps better, which allows the body to heal and restore itself. Research shows that positive thoughts can cause the body to slow down its aging process and enhance restorative sleep (Booker). When we enter into restorative sleep the brain will flush out any toxic chemicals or hormones that were made that day (How Sleep Leads the Brain of Toxins). Scientists aren 't 100% sure, but they believe the brain cannot completely flush out all harmful toxins during the day because it is trying to focus on daily functions (How Sleep Leads the Brain of Toxins). Dr. Nedergaard explains this

Negative thinking can cause the human body to fail. Depression may cause a failure in taking care of the body, which can cause the risk for heart attack to become greater. Depression is often experienced after a heart attack. Heart attacks can cause feelings of hopelessness and sadness which result in depression, and can lead to heart attacks. Patients that have had a heart attack and then become depressed are two times as likely to have another heart attack (Hinkel). Chronic anxiety is the body 's response to the worries of life. If the body cannot cope with the stress, an anxiety attack occurs. These anxiety attacks can cause heart palpitations, which can be caused by anxiety or for no reason. Stress can be good and bad for the body. It is good in dangerous situations because the body will release hormones to ensure its safety. During a stressful situation, the brain immediately reacts by releasing a hormone from the hypothalamus into the pituitary gland. This gland will then secrete the adrenocorticotrophic hormone, also known as ACTH, which will stimulate the adrenal glands. The adrenal glands are made up of two parts, the adrenal cortex and the adrenal medulla. The adrenal cortex is the outer layer of the adrenal glands and will release cortical steroids during stressful events. These steroids stimulate muscle growth, boost the body 's resistance to stress, and trigger a response in the liver which will create sugar. This sugar turns into energy to