I should be dead already. According to how many times my heart has been broken, I should no longer breathe. Remember when you found out that your heart didn’t really look as neat and defined as it does on all the valentine’s cards? It was that symbolic heart that drew you to create it’s broken counterpart. But even though the heart doesn’t look that way, doesn’t mean it can’t be broken. And the broken heart can kill us.
This is how it works.
The broken heart syndrome
There are facts behind Broken Heart Syndrome (also known as stress-induced cardiomyopathy or Takotsubo cardiomyopathy), facts that show even the healthiest of hearts may fall victim. Facts also show that women are more prone to this sudden attack, chest pain originating from an immediate stressful threat.
It can come from a sudden death of a loved one, divorce or even just the ending of a long relationship. Women can even be prone to death from sudden excitement, which is not a broken heart but works in much the same way.
Here’s how it works
IN broken heart syndrome, the heart experiences sudden symptoms mimicking a heart attack. The heart swells in certain areas making blood passage difficult. The heart’s pumping rhythm changes as well. Unlike a heart attack, there is no indication of blocked arteries or vessels, but a broken heart can lead to short-term heart muscle weakness.
Outer symptoms include shortness of breath and chest pain. I know you’ve seen it on television if nowhere else, the broken-hearted lover, grasping his chest and fighting for breath as his loved one walks out the door. Yeah, it’s disturbing but it paints a proper picture of what true heartbreak looks like. Well, maybe that’s a little dramatic, but it does happen in some cases.
And there are other symptoms as well, which affect various organs of the body besides the heart. When a sudden loss has occurred, there are sometimes headaches lasting for days and nausea. A broken heart can spread dysfunction throughout the body. It’s no wonder that, in some circumstances, death is imminent.
According to Mayo Clinic,
“Broken Heart Syndrome may be caused by a reaction to a surge of stress hormones.”
Hope for the Broken Hearted
But there’s good news, cardiomyopathy can be treated and chances of it happening again are lower. I guess you can say, we get used to having a broken heart, and it doesn’t hurt as much the next time. All this plays into the hardened heart theory, and the building of symbolic walls to protect from hurt. Just as the mind gets used to hurt, the body builds defenses as well. It can be bad or good, to be honest. Although your health is more resilient, you build a distrust towards love.
To test these symptoms and discover whether you are experiencing broken Heart Syndrome, you should see your cardiologist. An EKG and blood tests may be able to tell you whether your heart is functioning under stress or heart attack warnings. Either way, it can be a matter of life or death.
I guess, since my heart has been broken many times, I should be dead already. But apparently, the callouses have protected from further damage. Unfortunately, love is not my greatest strength.
Take care, and take care of your heart as well.
