Do you know that a heart break can literally kill a person? Yes, it does. It is called the Broken Heart Syndrome. It can cause death but it is also very unlikely.
Broken heart syndrome is a temporary heart condition brought upon by extremely stressful and traumatic events. It can also be triggered by serious physical illness or injury. It is also called stress-induced cardiomyopathy or Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, which is named after the Japanese physician who discovered it. The tako tsubo are the octopus traps that resemble the pot-like shape of a troubled heart.
The syndrome can more likely happen to women than in men. A person may experience sudden chest pain which is the reaction to a rush of hormones caused by emotionally stressful experience. It could be a death of a loved one, divorce, separation or break up; and even rejection. But not only that, the following may also cause broken heart syndrome: domestic abuse, physical stressors like disease infection and major surgeries, strong arguments, public speaking, and job loss or financial struggle. Literally anything that may cause a surge of stress hormones can cause or trigger the syndrome.
Some drugs may also cause broken heart syndrome as they may cause a rush of stress hormones. These drugs may include epinephrine, which is given to treat severe allergic reactions or a severe asthma; duloxetine, which is used to treat nerve problems due to diabetes, or as a treatment for depression. Another treatment drug for depression, the venlafaxine is also included and also levothyroxine which is given to people with thyroid glands problems. Unprescribed drugs like cocaine can also cause or trigger broken heart syndrome.
This may also be misdiagnosed as heart attack because of the same symptoms and test results. But the broken heart syndrome affects just part of the heart, temporarily disrupting heart's normal pumping function. The rest of the heart is unaffected and can function normally. As a matter of fact, tests show changes in rhythm and blood substances that are similar to that of a heart attack. But unlike heart attack, heart arteries are not blocked in broken heart syndrome and only damages a part of the heart itself. Broken heart syndrome can lead to serious heart muscle failure but the good news is, it is pretty treatable and most likely not to occur again but in rare cases, it can be fatal.
This is how the broken heart syndrome differ from a heart attack: the EKG results or the test that records heart’s electric activity, don’t look the same; there are no signs of heart damage in blood tests; there is no blockage in the arteries of the heart as I have already mentioned; there is unusual movement of the lower left heart chamber or the left ventricle; and the recovery time for broken heart syndrome is faster as it can happen in within days or weeks.
What are the symptoms? The symptoms of heart broken disease are angina or chest pain and shortness of breath, especially when you don’t have a history of having a heart disease.
We can see how every system of our body may affect one another. Your mental and emotional health may affect your physical health and vice versa. What can we do to prevent conditions like the broken heart syndrome? Aside from keeping your body healthy, keeping your emotional and mental health is also very important. In an article I have read, it says that some of the patients diagnosed with this syndrome have underlying anxiety and depression which, basically, needs to be given attention and treatment first. Knowing what causes our stress may also be of help. And more than knowing what it is, staying away and letting go of whatever it is, is more important. Always protect you heart; like you, there is only one of that.
I hope you are in a situation where your physical body, your mind, and your heart are happy. Good morning! 😊
Thanks for reading. :)
