HEALTH
BROKEN
HEART
Fact or Fiction?
You’ve heard people talking about having a broken heart. You
might wonder if it’s an actual thing when people married for
a long time die within a few days of each other.
BROKEN HEART SYNDROME IS REAL. IT’S TRIGGERED BY VERY
STRESSFUL SITUATIONS, LIKE THE DEATH OF SOMEONE YOU
LOVE
Your doctor may call this stress-induced cardiomyopathy. Other things that can trigger it include:
Surgery
Serious illness
Money problems
Car accidents
Emotional memories
It can even happen after a good shock, like winning the lottery or a surprise party.
WHAT HAPPENS?
It’s thought that when you have broken heart
syndrome, a part of your heart called the left
ventricle temporarily weakens and stops
pumping well. Experts also believe that your
coronary arteries, which feed oxygen to your
62 | Colossium . June 2019
heart muscle, spasm. This can cause chest pain.
The momentary “freezing” or “stunning” of your
heart can bring circulation problems. If broken
heart syndrome is not treated, it can be as
deadly as a heart attack.