When laughter kills. Uncontrollable bouts of crying or laughing

Uncontrollable laughter can occur due to the following reasons:

• Angelman syndrome;
• hebephrenic schizophrenia;
• Tourette's syndrome;
• tetanus;
• disorders of the nervous system.

Angelman's syndrome is characterized by a delay in neurological and mental development. It is extremely rare, affecting about 1 in 10,000 children. signs genetic disease can be detected in the first 6-12 months of life. It may be accompanied epileptic seizures, sleep disturbance, frequent smiles and laughter, sharp movements of body parts. brightly severe symptoms Angelman's syndrome is noticeable only after reaching 2 years. Obesity and scoliosis are considered common deviations among adult patients. People with Angelman syndrome have a pointed chin and wide gaps between their teeth.

Hebephrenic schizophrenia develops during puberty. She is characterized by high spirits and mannerisms. Nervous laughter can be replaced by attacks of aggression and strong excitement, sometimes hallucinations occur. Patients can grimace and do rash acts.

Tourette's syndrome is diagnosed in childhood. It is accompanied by uncontrolled movements and behavioral disorders. The patient may behave obscenely, swear loudly and laugh, repeat the phrases he has heard. The patient's intellect is not affected.

Causes of involuntary laughter can include a brain cyst or tumor, multiple sclerosis, and Lou Gehrig's disease. Sometimes inappropriate laughter appears in people suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

With tetanus, a person has a grimace resembling a sardonic smile. The disease also causes muscle weakness and constant fatigue, shortness of breath, and skeletal muscle damage.

In some cases, fits of laughter for no reason occur as a reaction to severe stress, grief or fear. A person may laugh at a funeral, during an exam, and in other serious situations.

Involuntary laughter is often observed in people who abuse drugs.

There are turns of speech that are more often used not in a literal sense, but in a figurative sense, but are understandable to everyone without additional explanations. Is it possible to die from laughter for real, and not describe your emotions from watching a comedy? This will be discussed in the proposed article.

Phraseologisms

The turns of speech that have an independent meaning and are inherent in a particular language are phraseological units. One of the lexical devices that allows you to make a thought more figurative, contributing to a speech effect that cannot be achieved with ordinary words: (do nothing), (do stupid things), nod off (fall asleep). Death from laughter is a reaction to something that causes a stormy, positively colored response in the form of uncontrollable laughter that brings a person to exhaustion.

The picture immediately appears, as the "dying" grabs his sides, rolls on the floor, throwing his head back. Doctors believe that laughter prolongs life by lowering stress hormones, strengthening immune system and burning calories. But if certain things happen in the body physiological processes, then the question naturally arises: "Why can you die of laughter?"

Possible severe consequences

History describes examples where people actually died during a fit of laughter. There are two groups of causes of tragedies:

• Availability chronic diseases aggravated during a pronounced reaction of the body to someone else's joke.
• Loss of self-control during laughter when in an unusual or dangerous situation.

The first group includes death from laughter due to:

The second group is accidents that occurred during the occurrence of uncontrollable laughter (falling from a height, scalding with boiling water, choking during the process of eating food).

Historical legends

Unfortunately, there are examples in life that give a positive answer to the question: "Is it possible to die from laughter?" There is a well-known case with the ancient Greek philosopher Chrysippus, which occurred back in the 3rd century BC. BC e. He gave wine to the donkey and watched the picture of the poor animal trying to eat figs right from the tree. The philosopher had a fit of laughter, which caused his death.

In the 16th century, the Italian writer Pietro Aretino fell from laughter and smashed his head. At one of the drinking parties, he heard a funny anecdote that played a fatal role in his life.

The 18th century was marked by a strange story that took place at the performance of the Beggar's Opera. Actor Charles Banister played the role of a buyer of stolen goods. His appearance caused a certain Miss Fitzherbert to laugh so loudly that she was led out of the hall. Laughter turned into a real hysteria, which did not stop throughout the day. The woman has died. Such tragic events were infrequent, but are described by historians. Is it possible to die of laughter today?

Modern true stories

A case is described with the British Alex Mitchell (1975), suffering from heart failure. A simple bricklayer watched the comedy show "The Good Men" on TV. He squirted, snorted and even rolled on the floor, and one of the episodes caused a real fit of laughter for 40 minutes. Alex's heart could not stand it, but the wife subsequently found the strength to admit that her husband's last moments were brightened up by the performance of the show's actors, to whom she is grateful for positive emotions.

In 1988, Danish physician Ole Benzen died while watching the comedy A Fish Called Wanda. He laughed so hard that his pulse reached 250 beats or more. The man had a heart attack. Is it possible to die from laughter at night? In 2003, Bangkok ice cream vendor Damnoen Saen-Am laughed in his sleep for two minutes, waking his wife up unexpectedly. He died of suffocation.

Too strong emotions

An extreme display of emotions leads to such an adrenaline rush that a weak heart cannot cope with. More often than from unbridled laughter, people die from fear and during love joys. Up to 50,000 people die each year from sex, 90% of whom are men. Lovelace aged more often end their life in bed with their mistresses (75% of cases). The explanation for this is huge. exercise stress and overvoltage. Among famous people, who died during sexual games, an American banker and British race car driver Robert Mortimer.

Death from fear with a certain sequence happens on dangerous rides. So, in the USA, 16-year-old Faith Binge died in a room of fear with zombies. All these examples answer the question of whether it is possible to die from laughter, fear or love. I so want people to die from laughter and other excessive emotions only in a figurative sense.

Hysteria can descend on every person, but basically, after all, people who have a special warehouse of the nervous system are more prone to this disease. At healthy people may occur under certain conditions.

Hysteria - This neuropsychiatric disease, one of the neuroses.

The symptoms of hysteria are manifested in two groups: hysterical seizure and hysterical behavior.

There may be hysterical paralysis, tics, a rough rhythmic tremor, which greatly intensifies when attention is fixed, and other involuntary movements.

Very often, a person with hysteria suffers from headaches, which can be described as: “a hoop that tightens the temples and forehead” or “a driven nail”. I think these definitions of a headache are familiar to many.

Hysteria"likes" to imitate other diseases, such as an angina attack, bronchial asthma, painting acute abdomen and others.

It is important to distinguish a hysterical attack from an epileptic one and from loss of consciousness during a stroke. Unlike epileptic seizure with hysterical paroxysms, the patient's pupils react to light and ciliary and corneal reflexes are preserved.

There is such a definition as a hysterical personality type, hysterical psychopathy. In such patients, painful changes and disorders are observed throughout life.

A mild degree of hysteria is determined by the following signs: bouts of causeless crying or laughter, constant irritability, shortness of breath, palpitations, a feeling of constricted throat, etc.

With a more complex degree of hysteria, attacks of general convulsions or paralysis in various parts of the body are observed, different kinds mental disorder.

When a hysterical fit occurs, the patient must be transferred to quiet place or ask to leave strangers. No need to hold it, let me smell it right away ammonia and create a calm environment around him. After such actions, the attack quickly passes and the patient calms down.

I want to give you recipes traditional medicine, medicinal herbs very effective in helping with nervous disorders.

Hysteria will leave you - use herbal medicine!

Seven recipes for infusions and decoctions so that the nerves are not "naughty"!

1. A decoction of peppermint leaves: pour a glass of boiling water over one tablespoon of leaves, boil for 10 minutes, strain. Take half a glass in the morning and before going to bed at night.
2. A decoction of the leaves of willow-herb tea: pour ten grams of dry leaves with a glass of boiling water, boil for 15 minutes. and strain. Take before meals three times a day for a tablespoon.
3. Decoction of chamomile flowers: pour four tablespoons of flowers with one glass of boiling water, boil for ten minutes and strain. Drink three times a day before meals, one-third of a glass.
4. To reduce the excitability of the central nervous system, take an infusion of blood-red hawthorn fruit. Finely chop two tablespoons of dried fruits and pour 1.5 tbsp. boiling water. You need to drink the prepared infusion three times half an hour before meals.
5. A decoction of the bark of the common viburnum: chop 10 grams of the bark and pour a glass of boiling water, let it boil for half an hour, then strain. Pour the prepared broth boiled water up to a volume of 200 ml.
6. Effectively tones and strengthens the nervous system infusion of chamomile aster flowers: take a tablespoon of flowers in a glass of boiling water, wait until it cools down, and strain. It is recommended to take a tablespoon four times a day.
7. An infusion of roots, stems and leaves of primrose will serve as a light sleeping pill and sedative. Pour a teaspoon of raw materials with a glass of boiling water, leave for half an hour, cool and strain. You need to drink half a glass twice a day.

Hysteria - it is such a disease that a person suffering himself makes his loved ones suffer as well. Not everyone can stand to live for a long time next to a hysterical person. It's very hard! I hope that the recipes in this article will help you deal with such a problem as

He laughs well who laughs of his own free will. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. There are a number of cases in which a person is either overcome by inappropriate and causeless laughter, or his facial features are folded into a grimace resembling a smile. MedAboutMe talks about such diseases.

Stupidity, laughter, a penchant for strange and inappropriate jokes may indicate the presence of hebephrenic. The disease begins to manifest itself during puberty. The patient tends to elevated mood and mannerisms, he laughs and giggles picturesquely, sometimes behaving obscenely. Attacks of fun can be replaced by aggression and malicious excitement, sometimes hallucinations appear. Patients are characterized by completely unmotivated actions, stupid pranks, grimacing. Over time, the behavior becomes completely meaningless and aimless.

Bipolar disorder, or manic-depressive psychosis, can also manifest itself in bouts of euphoria, unreasonable laughter and joy, which are replaced by depression and depression. In a state of euphoria, the patient has fun for no reason, can laugh even at completely unfunny things, show inappropriate self-confidence and megalomania.

Tourette's syndrome manifests itself in childhood. This disorder is characterized by uncontrolled movements, vocal tics, and behavioral disturbances. The patient may shout out obscenities or obscenities (coprolalia), repeat what they hear (echolalia), grimace and laugh. Boys are affected twice as often as girls. The causes of the disease are not completely clear; Tourette's syndrome is the subject of research by geneticists, psychiatrists and neurologists. The intellect of the patient, as a rule, does not suffer, but living with Tourette's syndrome is not easy. And it's definitely not funny at all.

Angelman syndrome

Genetics is “to blame” for this disease: patients lack part of the 15th chromosome. Angelman's syndrome is also called Petrushka's or "happy doll" syndrome. A sick child is similar to a cloudlessly happy baby - a joyful smile never leaves his face.

Unfortunately, there is no need to talk about happiness and joy. Children with Parsley syndrome have problems with speech development, they have impaired coordination, and in 80% of cases, epilepsy is also observed.

Babies with Angelman syndrome are trusting and good-natured, they like to listen, they are drawn to people who show interest in them. As they grow older, developmental delays appear. Patients can be socially adapted to a certain extent, but they will need guardianship all their lives, since they remain “children” forever. The ability to adapt depends on the degree of damage to the chromosome. Some patients manage to learn how to take care of themselves and manage the household, others cannot even get up without outside help.

Laughter as a symptom of brain damage

Some forms of epilepsy cause fits of laughter in the patient. The cause of involuntary bouts of laughter, in no way related to the emotions experienced, may be a brain tumor or cyst, as well as an acute stroke. Laughter occurs when pressure is applied to the corresponding areas of the brain (the anterior cingulate cortex), and only a neurosurgical operation can eliminate the cause of unhealthy fun.

Uncontrollable laughter may signal development multiple sclerosis and Lou Gehrig's disease, also known as lateral amyotrophic sclerosis"or BAS. Sometimes causeless laughter is noted in Alzheimer's disease - in the early stages.

Tetanus is a formidable disease that can be prevented, but extremely difficult to cure if it has gone too far. The causative agent of tetanus is Clostridium tetani. anaerobic bacterium in the form of a dumbbell, affecting the nervous system. The bacterium produces a strong poison - tetanotoxin, which is carried by the bloodstream throughout the body and penetrates the nerve fibers. Any random nerve impulse causes muscle contraction, without subsequent relaxation.

When the mimic muscles are affected, a grimace appears on the face, known as a "sardonic smile": the corners of the mouth are stretched and lowered down, the eyes are narrowed, and tense folds gather on the forehead. It looks scary, despite the name "smile".

In the world-famous painting by the great Leonardo da Vinci, Gioconda is depicted with a slight half-smile. The lady's eyelids are slightly lowered, her face is serene. Apparently these external signs prompted doctors to call "Gioconda's smile" a symptom of another serious illness- myasthenia gravis.

The main signs of myasthenia gravis are increasing muscle weakness and constant pathological fatigue. The disease can affect different groups muscles, causing the corresponding symptoms. With the defeat of the mimic and chewing muscles, the “Gioconda smile” appears: a motionless, like a mask, face, lowered eyelids (ptosis), stretched lips. In this case, the patient may not even have the strength to open his mouth, chew and swallow food.

With damage to the respiratory muscles, shortness of breath develops, damage to the skeletal muscles makes it impossible for the patient to move.

The causes of myasthenia gravis are still debated. Researchers are looking for the origins of the disease in the violation of biochemical processes, in the dysfunction of muscle tissues and in the work of the central nervous system. It has been established that the development of myasthenia gravis is influenced by the thymus gland, and possibly by lymphocytes, whose function is to protect the body from foreign agents. The latter gives reason to classify myasthenia gravis as an autoimmune disease.

Pathological laughter: "In pain, I laugh"

In some cases, uncontrollable laughter occurs as a reaction to severe stress, fear, grief.

There are cases when at a funeral or when receiving news of a death dear people the person begins to laugh, and so that he cannot stop. Tears can flow from the eyes, and laughter at times turns into sobs, but does not stop.

Severe stress can also cause uncontrollable laughter. For example, the fear of failing an exam or the extreme embarrassment of meeting the strict parents of a loved one are quite capable of provoking unstoppable laughter.

During the Great patriotic war a case of mass pathological laughter was described. A division of the Nazi army occupied a small village. Residents rushed to run through the deep snow towards the forest, and bursts of machine guns flew after them. Running away, people… laughed. Excited. Falling under bullets, covering children with themselves, dying - they laughed, with horror in their eyes and mortal longing in their hearts.

Illustration / Photo: open source

Uncontrollable laughter can be a sign of an illness or condition that usually affects the nervous system.

Uncontrollable, unreasonable, pathological laughter can be a medical symptom serious problems health problems such as brain tumors, stroke, Angelman's syndrome, Tourette's syndrome, and nervous system disorders due to drug abuse.

At first glance, the connection between laughter and illness seems strange, because we usually laugh when we are happy or find something funny. According to the science of happiness, intentional laughter can even lift our spirits and make us happy. But it's another matter if you are standing in line at the bank or in the supermarket, and suddenly someone suddenly and wildly laughs without any apparent reason. Perhaps a laughing person will have nervous tick, he may twitch or appear slightly disoriented. A person can laugh and cry at the same time, while looking either childish or as a victim of violence.

If you began to laugh involuntarily and often, this may indicate a symptom such as pathological laughter. Is it a sign of an underlying disease or pathological condition, which usually affects nervous system. Researchers are still eager to learn more about this phenomenon (pathological laughter is usually not associated with humor, or with fun, or any other expression of joy).

As you know, our brain is the control center of the nervous system. It sends signals that control involuntary actions such as breathing and heartbeat, as well as voluntary actions such as walking or laughing. If these signals go awry due to a chemical imbalance, wrong growth brain or birth defect bouts of unaccountable laughter may occur.

Let's learn more about diseases and medical symptoms that can be accompanied by laughter (but not a smile).

Laughter due to illness

As a rule, any other signs of the disease are forced to seek help from patients or members of their families, but not laughter. However, sometimes laughter medical symptom deserving close attention.

Here's an example: in 2007, a 3-year-old girl from New York began to behave quite unusually: periodically laugh and wince (as if in pain) at the same time. Doctors discovered that she had a rare form of epilepsy that caused involuntary laughter. Then they found the girl benign tumor brain and removed. After the operation, the symptom of this tumor also disappeared - involuntary laughter.

Surgeons and neurologists have repeatedly helped people with brain tumors or cysts to get rid of involuntary and uncontrollable fits of laughter. The fact is that the removal of these formations eliminates pressure on the areas of the brain that cause it. Acute stroke can also cause abnormal laughter.

Laughter is a symptom of Angelman syndrome, a rare chromosomal disorder that affects the nervous system. Patients often laugh because of the increased stimulation of the parts of the brain that control joy. Tourette syndrome is a neurobiological disorder that causes tics and involuntary vocal outbursts. People with Tourette syndrome usually do not need treatment unless their symptoms interfere with daily activities such as work or school. Medications and psychotherapy can help patients minimize their symptoms.

Laughter can also be a symptom of drug abuse or chemical dependency. In both cases, the damaged nervous system gives signals, including those that cause laughter. Dementia, feelings of anxiety, fear and restlessness can also cause involuntary laughter.