How long does it take to recover from broken heart syndrome? Of course, it’s always prudent to seek medical assistance if you or a loved one are experiencing chest pain or anything that might resemble a heart attack.Ĭall an ambulance on 000. However, the syndrome isn’t always fatal. Instead, they simply have certain areas of their heart that are ‘stunned’ and not working as they should.īroken heart syndrome also typically occurs within minutes or hours of a stressful life event. This is because there aren’t usually any blockages or clots when a patient is experiencing broken heart syndrome. While the symptoms and characteristics of the two might appear similar on the surface, an angiogram (a type of X-ray photograph that shows which arteries are blocked during a heart attack) is often enough for medical professionals to decipher between the two. What is the key difference between broken heart syndrome and a heart attack? So it kinda makes sense as to why it might be confusing to differentiate the two. Additionally, the patient can often find themselves experiencing chest pain and shortness of breath. These episodes can often be misdiagnosed as – or confused with – a heart attack, and their readings on an ECG or EKG usually resemble those of a heart attack. This disruption sends the left ventricle into shock, while the rest of the heart continues to pump (sometimes even harder than before to make up for the lack of action in the left ventricle). If you’re not science-y or medical-y at all? We’ll try to keep this part as simple as possible.īroken heart syndrome episodes occur when the surge of stress hormones (mentioned above) temporarily disrupt pumping in part of the heart. If you’re a science or medical buff? Welcome home. Scary, huh? So what actually happens to the heart during these episodes? These episodes can ultimately lead to “short-term heart muscle failure”, according to the American Heart Association. This typically occurs after a stressful life event and can be characterised by sudden and intense chest pains. Scientifically referred to as ‘Takotsubo cardiomyopathy’, broken heart syndrome is when the heart muscle becomes suddenly stunned or weakened (ie. Broken Heart Syndrome – yes, it’s a real thing. Here’s what we (and actual science and medical professionals) mean by that. Spoiler alert: Yes, you actually can die from a broken heart.
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