Can Someone Die From Broken Heart Syndrome - Breakup Advice

For some people, love comes naturally and they never endure relationship breakups. For most people, however, a broken heart occurs after the relationship ends. Many experts offer breakup advice to deal with the aftermath and lift spirits. Death from a broken heart occurs in movies, and it was often thought a myth. Medical experts have recently acknowledged a condition called Broken Heart Syndrome, which affects health and can lead to death in severe instances.


Symptoms of a Broken Heart

Relationship breakups cause unbelievable stress for some people, and breakup advice always involves taking care of health to move on. The stress experienced by someone who breaks up with a partner is no different than the stress felt from life’s other trials and tribulations. The stress from a broken heart releases adrenaline, which is the body’s “fight or flight” hormone. It increases the heart rate, raises blood pressure and slows other body processes such as gastrointestinal functions.



According to Ohio State University Medical Center in the article "Can You Really Die of a Broken Heart?" on its website, the increase in adrenaline and the stress from a relationship breakup causes symptoms of a heart attack. The patient feels pain in the chest and the heart suffers from muscle weakness. However, when the patient undergoes an MRI, no blockage appears and the Broken Heart Syndrome symptoms disappear after the patient moves on from missing the significant other.

Can the Heart Attack Symptoms Lead to Death?

If the muscle weakness and adrenaline from stress continue, a person’s health can deteriorate. Since most people move on after a relationship breakup, the symptoms also disappear, so the patient’s health returns. According to Laxmi Mehta, MD, director of the Women’s Cardiovascular Health Clinic at The Ohio State University Medical Center, ten percent of patients can have recurring symptoms and a severely wounded heart can lead to death.

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Most instances of Broken Heart Syndrome occur in menopausal women who have suffered from the loss of a spouse or child. Larry Cahalin, a clinical professor in physical therapy at Northeastern University reports that some patients who suffer from Broken Heart Syndrome develop heart disease symptoms and health issues, according to the July 13, 2009 article "Broken Heart Syndrome No Longer a Myth" on the Northeastern University's newsletter.

Breakup Advice for Better Health

Time is the main healer for people who suffer from a lost love. Exercise helps boost heart health and improves mood. This is especially true for people who exercise outdoors. Breathing exercises such as yoga and meditation helps clear the mind and helps lower heart rate from extended stress-related issues. Some experts suggest taking a vacation or leaving the area for a while to avoid contact with the lost love. This is beneficial for people who work or go to school with the person with whom the relationship breakup occurred.


Author Twinkle Brar


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