Can Laughing Too Hard Be Dangerous For Your Health?

Laughter is an expression of joy and excitement that all humans share. Even from infancy, the ability to laugh is a major milestone in a baby's development and a sign of being able to communicate with others. As Dr. Robert R. Provine, the author of "Laughter: A Scientific Investigation," explained to WebMD, "Laughter is part of universal human vocabulary. There are thousands of languages, hundreds of thousands of dialects, but everyone speaks laughter in pretty much the same way."

It actually turns out that laughing is more than just a reaction to something funny. According to an article in Scientific American, the act of laughing may be tied to a primal need to create bonds with others or an evolutionary necessity to recognize when others are friends or strangers. Laughter also plays a major role in making social connections and creating shared experiences that define friendship.

With laughter being such an integral part of being human, is it possible that there are some negative effects? While there are several mental, emotional, and physical benefits to genuine laughter, some people may experience health risks when laughing too hard — particularly when there are underlying conditions that are affected by intense bouts of laughing. Here are some potential downsides to side-splitting laughter.

Another unfortunate result of laughing too hard for some people is feeling light-headed — and sometimes, even passing out. Referred to as laughter-induced syncope, it's possible to become dizzy and eventually lose consciousness after a bout of intense laughter, as explained in an article published by the Journal of Medical Case Reports. While research shows that this occurrence is rare, the case report also shares that it often goes unrecognized by healthcare professionals.

Another review found in Cardiology in Review shared that blacking out from laughter is likely related to Valsalva-induced syncope. If you're unfamiliar with that, a Valsalva maneuver is when you forcibly exhale while your airways are blocked, which results in a drop in blood pressure and a decreased heart rate (per Healthline). Although this technique can be beneficial if your heart happens to be beating too fast, the same reaction caused by a fit of laughter while your heart is beating normally can drop blood pressure enough to cause you to faint.

Even though unconsciousness from laughing will likely last for just a few seconds, it's important to know that suddenly passing out for any reason should be taken seriously. Talk to your doctor about the episode so you can rule out other serious issues.

Hard laughter can make it difficult for some individuals to hold in their urine. As described in Urology Case Reports, giggle incontinence (GI) is a real condition in which people involuntarily lose control of their bladder when laughing or giggling. In the case discussed, the patient didn't just leak a few drops of urine during a bout of laughter. Starting at a young age, her bladder would actually empty completely whenever she laughed. Although there are other types of stress incontinence related to pressure put on the bladder when coughing or sneezing, the case report shows that GI is something completely different.

One review published in the Journal of Pediatric Urology found that there are two likely causes of giggle incontinence in children. One of the reasons leans toward a neurological explanation that is similar to cataplexy, which is a sudden decrease in muscle tone, weakness, or brief paralysis (via the Sleep Foundation). It's also possible that GI is linked to urologic dysfunction that causes the bladder to become weak. In any case, successful treatment of GI should take both of these potential causes into consideration.

Outside of giggle incontinence, many people do have stress urinary incontinence that is triggered by laughter. However, the cause of this type of incontinence is caused by weak pelvic floor muscles that allow urine leakage to happen. You can often strengthen pelvic floor muscles with Kegel exercises and other symptom-reducing treatments.

Although there are several things that can cause recurring migraines or headaches, some people experience laughter-induced headaches after a good, hard chuckle. A case review published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry described a patient who suffered from intense episodic headaches that were brought on only by genuine laughing. There did not appear to be any abnormalities in her brain, neck, or head that may have contributed to the headaches.

Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain, also published a review that looked into studies on laughter-induced headaches. There was some evidence suggesting that these types of headaches could be connected to intracranial disease and craniospinal pressure. However, other results showed a link between laughter headaches and headaches that were triggered by coughing or exercise. In most cases, the pain was experienced almost immediately after a bout of laughing and could not be reproduced by fake laughter.

If you experience severe headaches or migraines after vigorous laughter, it may be worth talking to your doctor about your symptoms. Your healthcare provider may have recommendations on how to manage the pain and what you can do to prevent the headaches from occurring.

For individuals who have aneurysms, changes in blood pressure can be incredibly risky. The American Stroke Association shares that both physical and emotional factors can trigger a dangerous rise in blood pressure that may cause an aneurysm to rupture or start to bleed. Something like lifting heavy objects can add pressure to the body and brain, making it more likely that an aneurysm will burst. However, waves of strong emotions can also result in raised blood pressure and an increased risk of an existing aneurysm rupturing.

If you're wondering how laughing ties into all this, Ronald L. Dalman, professor of surgery at Stanford University, shared with Gizmodo that "Hard laughing may increase blood pressure, which could precipitate rupture in an existing aneurysm if it was far enough advanced." He goes on to add, "Both ruptured aneurysms and acute dissections are extremely painful and frequently deadly. In that sense, neither are 'laughing matters.'"

An aneurysm rupture or hemorrhage is a serious medical condition that needs immediate attention. If you have an existing aneurysm, your doctor will share critical signs and symptoms that may indicate your aneurysm has ruptured. If you experience any of these symptoms, it's vital to get emergency care as soon as possible.

Cataplexy occurs when the muscles in your body or specific parts of your body suddenly become weak or go limp in response to an intensely emotional experience. According to Healthline, bouts of crying, anger, and even laughter can trigger a cataplexy episode in some people. Symptoms may include feeling weak or paralyzed, losing control over parts of your face, unsteadiness on your feet, and eyes that appear half-closed.

There seems to be a connection between cataplexy and narcolepsy, which is a sleep disorder characterized by feeling drowsy or completely falling asleep during the day. As shared by Mayo Clinic, most people who suffer from type 1 narcolepsy also struggle with cataplexy, which is especially brought on by laughter. However, the majority of people who have type 2 narcolepsy do not experience cataplexy.

Although cataplexy brought on by laughing can be scary and concerning, there may be ways to reduce symptoms and experience episodes less often. Your doctor may recommend certain medications, including antidepressants, to improve cataplexy. It can also help to identify your triggers and talk about your condition with loved ones to ensure you have support when a cataplexy episode does happen.

Although laughing may not be the actual cause of certain neurological conditions, inappropriate laughter may be a sign that something is not quite right with the way the brain is functioning. For example, unprovoked outbursts of laughter, inappropriately long laughing episodes, or other oddly-timed emotional responses could be a symptom of pseudobulbar affect or PBA (per Cleveland Clinic). People may develop PBA after suffering a brain injury or having amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) as an underlying condition.

Uncontrolled laughing may also be a symptom of gelastic seizures. According to the Epilepsy Foundation, gelastic seizures are characterized by giggling episodes brought on by focal or partial seizures in the brain's hypothalamus. People may also appear to be smirking or smiling during these laughing seizures, which they are unable to control or stop. Although individuals may appear to be happy or enjoying themselves while gelastic seizures are happening, it can actually be a frightening experience and cause social anxiety.

If you notice you or someone you know is laughing at inappropriate times or having laughter episodes that are not in response to anything funny, it's probably a good idea to talk to a healthcare professional about these symptoms. They may be easy to overlook because they involve laughing, which is not often associated with health issues.