Starting In This Past Year When I Start Laughing Heartily

Starting in this past year when I start laughing heartily my head often feels enormous pressure and I really feel like I can't breathe and am going to pass out. I know it is very different than how some people will really get a good laugh going and joke that they can't breathe. This just started recently. I literally get scared and try immediately to stop laughing because I feel like I'm suffocating and that my head will explode. I have gained quite a bit of weight since hitting menopause a few years ago but my blood pressure isn't high (though don't have the exact numbers handy). Could it be a blood pressure issue or could it be something else?