Tom Slaymaker and his wife laughed for about 10 minutes before losing consciousness and dying. Four months earlier, he had married Leanne. The woman shared with the media the sad details of the last moments she spent with her husband. This is one of the few cases where laughter has resulted in the death of someone.
- A 37-year-old man laughed with his wife for 10 minutes, then died
- The woman called an ambulance, but it was not possible to help
- As it turns out, science knows about deaths indirectly caused by laughter
- More holiday information can be found on the TvoiLokony home page
The incident took place in 2019 in the UK (the exact place was not given), but only now the 40-year-old has decided to reveal the details of the incident. As it turns out, it took place in the morning of January 6, when the couple, a few days after celebrating the New Year, were getting ready to go to work after a short vacation. They both had excellent moods that day, but it was not the right time and place for such a good mood, as it turned out later.
It only took a few minutes to laugh until the 37-year-old suddenly fell to the floor, to the surprise of the 40-year-old. The woman immediately called an ambulance and began to help her husband by performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation. After the paramedics arrived, they continued artificial respiration for another 50 minutes. Unfortunately, they eventually had to deliver a tragic message to the woman.
As it turned out, the 37-year-old had previously seen a doctor who had an increased heart rate. He prescribed the man medication, saying the condition was probably harmless, or at least there was no indication of it after the examination. Soon the woman also found out what caused the death.
“He had bronchitis, pneumonia and an enlarged heart” — says in an interview with «The Mirror» Leanne.
As the 37-year-old argues, since she met Tom, he has always been smiling. He was a positive person not only for his relatives, but also for his neighbors.
- Read also: Can you die laughing? History knows such cases
Can you die laughing? In a way, yes
“Laughter is good for health” — sounds an old saying that is well known to all. Although in most cases it is true, because laughter supports the work of some organs, it also perfectly protects our psyche against diseases such as depression, helps to relieve stress, and also contributes to the improvement of the body’s immunity. Rarely, however, as was the case with 37-year-old Tom, it can also indirectly cause death.
Sudden, violent, or prolonged laughter can trigger an asthma attack, for example. A person who cannot stop laughing does not adequately oxygenate the body, which in extreme cases can even lead to suffocation.
Laughter can also cause an aneurysm that we were not aware of in our skull to rupture. Prolonged bouts of laughter can also cause a heart attack. Most of the above complications can result from a sudden increase in pressure within specific organs.
Interestingly, one of the deaths caused by laughter was documented in antiquity. A Greek named Philemon was to experience it. This comedy wizard was supposed to tell a joke so funny that it eventually killed the 97-year-old. What exactly happened within the body of the comedy writer? This is not known.
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