It’s a question that is as old as time. Can you really die from a broken heart? While it is certainly true that some people never bounce back from unrequited love, and live in a downward spiral of depression and bad choices that ultimately lead to an early death, there has been some debate as to whether a person can die suddenly from the shock of a break-up, divorce, or the death of a loved one. Only in the last 35 years has broken heart syndrome been recognized as a medical event.
Broken Heart Syndrome
Broken heart syndrome is also called stress-induced cardiomyopathy, takotsubo cardiomyopathy, and apical ballooning syndrome. It can be life-threatening, but is rarely fatal. Most patients recover fully and quickly.
It was first recognized in Japan in 1990, and the first case was reported in the U.S. in 1998. It is now widely recognized around the world, but is still not completely understood.
The symptoms are similar to heart attack, and the condition is sometimes misdiagnosed as a heart attack. What actually happens is that one part of the heart enlarges and doesn’t pump well while the rest of the heart continues to function normally or contracts even harder than normal.
Broken heart syndrome typically occurs suddenly after an extremely emotionally stressful event, such as the death of a loved one, a break-up or divorce, or even very painful rejection. It can be the result of a positive event that is very emotional and unexpected, too.
Symptoms
The primary symptoms are chest pains and shortness of breath. You may also experience low blood pressure, congestive heart failure, heart rhythm abnormalities, and even go into shock. Cardiogenic shock can occur, and can be fatal. In cardiogenic shock the heart is suddenly weakened and cannot pump enough blood to support your body.
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