02/19/2025
Have you ever felt a deep pain, like a physical ache in your chest, after experiencing a significant loss or trauma?
This isn't just an emotional response. It could be broken heart syndrome, a real medical condition also known as stress cardiomyopathy or takotsubo cardiomyopathy. It’s a temporary heart condition often brought on by stressful situations. These can include the death of a loved one, a breakup, or even a positive life event.
Broken heart syndrome can be terrifying because symptoms often perfectly mimic those of a life-threatening heart attack and congestive heart failure, including tightness or pain in the chest. A person experiencing this is even at risk of a real heart attack. In fact, this level of stress can increase your risk of a heart attack by over 2000% in the first 24 hours!
If you experience any of these symptoms, call 911 immediately. Getting quick attention to rule out a true emergency is best. But rest assured that most people fully recover from broken heart syndrome without complications, even if initial symptoms mimic those of a heart attack.
