Base on the old man’s tale, you can mend a broken heart but base on scientific facts, you can die from it.
Over the past few years, physicians have come to recognize and better understand another form of heart attack. This unusual type of heart attack does not involve rupturing plaques or blocked blood vessels, instead it is caused by an intense emotional or physical stress that can cause rapid and severe heart muscle weakness (cardiomyopathy). It is called stress cardiomyopathy, also known as “the broken heart syndrome”.
So, can we die from a broken heart?
Stress cardiomyopathy is a potentially life-threatening condition that can occur following a variety of emotional stressors such as grief, fear, extreme anger, and surprise. It can also occur following numerous physical stressors to the body such as stroke, seizure, difficulty breathing (such as a flare of asthma or emphysema), or significant bleeding.
Symptoms of stress cardiomyopathy are often similar to those of a heart attack:
Broken heart syndrome may be misdiagnosed as a heart attack because the symptoms and test results are similar. In fact, tests show dramatic changes in rhythm and blood substances that are typical of a heart attack. But unlike a heart attack, there’s no evidence of blocked heart arteries in broken heart syndrome.
In broken heart syndrome, a part of your heart temporarily enlarges and doesn’t pump well, while the rest of your heart functions normally or with even more forceful contractions.
Who are at risk from having stress cardiomyopathy?
Women are more likely than men to experience the sudden, intense chest pain, in response with the reaction to a surge of stress hormones, that can be caused by an emotionally stressful event (e.g. death of a loved one or even a divorce, breakup or physical separation, betrayal or romantic rejection). It could even happen after a good shock (like winning the lottery.)
How is stress cardiomyopathy treated?
In stress cardiomyopathy,it would be beneficial for you to cahnge some of your unhealthy lifestyle by:
- managing stress
- getting adequate amount of sleep
- quit smoking
- weight loss
- avoiding alcohol
But, in the even that you are experiencing chest pain, a very rapid or irregular heartbeat, or shortness of breath after a stressful event, call 911 or emergency medical assistance immediately.
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