September 09, 2009
Laughing into unconsciousness:
I just found a curious article from the Journal of the American Medical Association about a case of 'laugh syncope' - a condition where the patient passes out when they crack up with laughter.
Syncope is the medical term for when someone feints and it is caused by a reduction of oxygen to the brain.
At 4 PM on a March day, a 32-year-old, previously healthy barber was standing and cutting a client’s hair. The client related a funny story, upon which the barber broke out into a very strong, sustained, loud, and unrestrained laughing fit during which, according to observers, he "blacked out" and fell to the floor. Although he sustained interscapular bruising and minor trauma to the right shoulder, he exhibited no seizure activity and no bladder or bowel incontinence.
He regained consciousness within a few seconds, was completely oriented, had no apparent neurological deficit, and immediately resumed his work. He had been working on his feet throughout the day, but this was customary for him and he had never had a syncopal or near-syncopal episode before. The temperature at the time had been mild. The timing of his most recent meal was not recorded. The patient did not reveal the content of the story.
I love that last sentence. It reminds me of an earlier medical warning about the dangers of powerful jokes.
I note there's another case of 'laugh syncope' that was published last year.
Apparently these cases can be caused simply by problems with getting the blood to the brain (such as heart difficulties), problems with the brain itself (for example, difficulties with its own blood supply network or the occurrence of a seizure) or due to what is known as a vasovagal episode that can be due to psychological triggers or vagus nerve dysfunction.
Link to 'Shear hilarity leading to laugh syncope in a healthy man'.
