In October 1997, it was reported that a man in Massachusetts laughed so hard while he was watching TV that he passed out at least three times. According to doctors at the Lahey-Hitchcock Clinic in Burlington, one incident even caused him to temporarily go blind. In a letter to the cardiology journal Catheterization and Cardiovascular Diagnosis, the physicians who treated the man said that all three instances occurred during episodes of Seinfeld. Specifically, the antics of Jason Alexander’s George Costanza were blamed for this laughter-induced fainting.
The man who fainted regained consciousness within a minute, and his family claimed he never had this happen with any other TV show. His doctors did note that he had a history of heart trouble and hypertension, though, and had previously undergone bypass surgery. Because each case was linked to the same show, the rare issue was dubbed “Seinfeld syncope.” Alexander’s publicist told The Standard-Times that he was aware of the doctor’s report, but offered no further comment.
A Man Fainted Multiple Times While Watching ‘Seinfeld,’ and Doctors Blamed George Costanza
After doctors examined the man, it was discovered that blockages in his arteries were reducing blood flow to his brain. He was able to get enough oxygen if he was calm, but if he laughed really hard, the pressure in his chest would result in less blood flowing in and out of his heart. One of the man’s arteries was widened using a catheter with an inflatable balloon, and a device was inserted to keep it open. From there, the doctors asked him to go back and watch Seinfeld to see if the treatment was effective.
Evidently, the man was able to continue enjoying the show without any further interruptions. “This condition is limited to people with this particular situation,” Dr. Andrew C. Eisenhauer was quoted as saying at the time. “The average person certainly can watch Seinfeld without fear of developing ‘Seinfeld syncope,’” he continued. However, other reports of people experiencing the same problem have come out since then, and while it’s extremely uncommon, two such cases happened in people who weren’t found to have underlying heart issues.