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Having a health issue is not something good to have. But with new emerging times there are various types of new disorders that are knocking at our door. We have surrounded ourselves with a good list of diseases; which have been introduced due to our new way of living. Yes, that’s true there are various diseases present in this world. But with time new things are introducing themselves to our life and this same goes with diseases. A most frequent example of it is Covid-19, which has taken humanity by surprise and made them be always prepared to encounter something like that in the future. This article is particularly written for an emerging disease that has impacted the lives of various people: Broken heart syndrome.
Let’s Guess What is Broken Heart Syndrome?
The name of this disease completely justifies it. This is a temporary heart condition that usually occurs due to the emergence of stressful physical situations and extreme emotions. The trigger for this condition can also be a serious surgery or physical illness. It is a reversible and temporary heart condition; which has symptoms that mimic those of a heart attack. The thing which makes it apart from a heart attack is the sudden physical or emotional stress that rapidly weakens the heart muscle. This would make you think like having a heart attack with symptoms like having shortness of breath and chest pain. Another unusual fact about this disease is that it is named after an octopus trap and in research, it is found that it exclusively occurs in women of ages 58-75 years old.
Symptoms of Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy (Broken Heart Syndrome)
Before coming to its special feature, let’s define its real characteristics first. It causes weakening of the left ventricle; which is considered as its main pumping chamber. This sudden illness can be caused due to different emotional or physical stress like a serious accident, natural disasters, loss of a loved one. Some of its key symptoms are mentioned below-
- Abnormal movement in the left ventricle
- Symptoms with no evidence of coronary artery obstruction
- Enlargement of the left ventricle
- Mimic symptoms of heart attack with electrocardiogram abnormalities.
Questions Regarding Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy
When it comes to disease, people always go one step further to know and cure it. This sense of seeking has always been around humanity when it comes to disease. These are some of the most asked questions related to it mentioned below.
What are the emotional and physical stressors that can lead to it?
Emotional stress factors which can lead to it are mentioned here.
- Good news: Like winning a lottery or having a surprise party.
- Bad news: The grief of the loss of some dear one or other meaningful loss like divorce, job, money, a beloved pet, home and so on.
Physical Factors
There are some physical factors; which can cause it.
- Due to some intense physical event.
- Having different health conditions like difficulty in breathing (dyspnea), asthma attack, high fever, low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), surgery.
Who used to get Broken Heart Syndrome?
In certain research, it is found that women, especially in their middle age around 50 to 70, are affected due to it. The major reason behind it is the decline in the level of estrogen; which may bring sudden stress effects and cause this syndrome.
What are the complications associated with Broken Heart Syndrome?
There is a wide range of complications associated with it, but these are the ones that are mostly seen with this syndrome.
- Blood clot in the left ventricle
- Outflow tract obstruction in the left ventricular
- Cardiogenic shock
- Rupture of the left ventricle of the heart
How is it Diagnosed?
The diagnosis of this medical condition can be done through several tests. Some of them are mentioned below-
- Chest X-ray is used to take a good look at your heart, lungs and blood vessels
- Measure your heart's electrical activity using EKG (Electrocardiogram)
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) provides images of both still & moving pictures of your heart
Is Brain Plays a Major Role in the Occurrence of Broken Heart Syndrome?
The brain always plays an important role when it comes to dealing with disease or its occurrence. Have you don't heard about the placebo effect? According to research, it is found that the brain and nervous system respond differently to different stressors, but this condition differs with changes in age. The stress factors that affect the brain critically impact the well being of the heart and cause this syndrome.
Can Stress Cause Permanent Damage to Your Heart?
That’s for sure stress is a major element when it comes to heart-related conditions. Stressors promote cardiovascular disease while putting you towards bad habits like less physical activity, overeating and smoking.
Different Types of Stress Which Affects the Heart
It is well-known that stress differs from person to person; as it has its own category. Our daily life always accompanies different kinds of stress, but to move forward we have to overcome them. These challenges that induce stress also lead to the release of cortisol hormone that works with adrenaline to influence your blood pressure, blood sugar levels, as well as heart rate.
There are three types of stresses which are discussed below:
Episodic Acute Stress
This type of stress always affects people who have a life full of chaos and crisis. Such people's emotions are totally unorganised and totally pressured; which steer to it.
Acute Stress
It is also known to be an anxiety disorder that occurs after a traumatic event. ASD (Acute Stress Disorder) usually occurs after a certain period of a traumatic event. You can identify this stress by different problems like headache, neck pain, emotional distress and more.
Chronic Stress
Stress affects you constantly and brings a negative impact on your health if it goes untreated. The occurrence of it happened due to traumatic situations or everyday pressure of work and family. This would invite different types of heart disorders, especially broken heart syndrome.
Associated Risk Elements
As you should have already been clear that this disease usually affects women more compared to men. Here we are discussing some of the risky elements associated with it are mentioned below.
Genetics: It is considered to be a major factor for some people to accompany this syndrome.
Age: Yes ageing is another main element that can invite it, especially over 50 for both men & women.
Head Injury/Seizure: Having one of these can also trigger this heart condition.
Psychiatric Disorder: There is a wide range of psychiatric disorders associated with it like depression and anxiety.
Treatment to Deal with Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy
As per current research performed on this disease, it is found that there is no standard treatment associated with it. The treatment pursued is similar to treating a heart attack. For it, doctors like to prescribe heart medications like ACE inhibitors (Angiotensin-converting enzyme), beta-blockers and angiotensin II receptors.
Verdict
The heart is a vital part of the body. But as usual, we don't care for it as we are required to do. When we ignore the heart’s well being, diseases like broken heart syndrome come into life. This type of disorder devastates its functioning and can bring it to the edge of collapse. It is curable, but that doesn’t mean you should invite it into your life. In some rare conditions it can also cause death, so be active and care for your heart. There are different types of coronary artery diseases present in this world and to deal with them a wide range of medications are available in the market. Some of the most common heart medications are Aspirin, Carvedilol and Clopidogrel.
"Your Heart is the Softest Place on Earth. Take Care of It."