Is it possible to die laughing? Yes!!! Intense laughter can be triggers for pre-existing conditions to evolve, causing death. A famous case is that of the British Alex Mitchell, who died in 1975 watching on TV the humor show "The Goodies". In case of respiratory failure or asthma attacks, bursts of laughter, as well as coughing, alter the dynamics of breathing, impairing blood oxygenation, which can be fatal. Increased chest pressure, also caused by intense laughter, can slow blood circulation and kill those with heart failure. If pressure increases in the abdomen, it can aggravate esophageal or other hernias of the abdominal wall. Finally, in the skull, there may be a rupture of some aneurysm installed in blood vessels, causing a stroke.