What Is Broken Heart Syndrome?

Illness

Heartbreak syndrome

The latest research by American scientists found that "heartbreak" produces chest pain, belching, and neurotic "heartbreak" is one of the oldest metaphors for the sad person. When describing the feeling of losing a loved one or a love affair, people often use "broken heart" to describe it. Today, "heartbreak" is no longer a term often used by poets and philosophers, but a scientific name for a disease. An article by the New England Journal of Medicine in the U.S. February 10, published by John Chambers of Johns Hopkins University and others, will be similar to chest pain, belching and shortness of breath caused by grief or shock The symptoms of heart disease are called "heartbreak syndrome".

Heartbreak Syndrome

Illness

A research team led by Dr. Champin took a total of 19 emergency patients between 1999 and 2003. These patients developed symptoms such as chest pain and belching, similar to those during a heart attack, but different from those of a heart attack Yes, they recovered after bed rest and a small amount of treatment.

These patients are basically all old menopausal women. The causes of their illness include the huge grief caused by the death of their loved ones, such as husbands, parents or children, or the serious scare caused by car accidents and robbery, as well as the intense stimulus caused by intense debates, appearances and public speaking. Examinations such as magnetic resonance showed that they did not have heart disease. ^[1]

Heartbreak syndrome "heartbreak" syndrome

Modern medicine has long proved that the human mind and mind are controlled only by the brain and have no direct connection with the heart. But is the heart related to human psychology? Studies have shown that the influence of psychological factors on "heartbreak syndrome" is objective.

In ancient Chinese medicine books, the "seven emotions" (hi, anger, worry, thought, sorrow, terror, and shock) are seven kinds of normal emotional reactions, such as sudden, severe, or long-term mental stimulation. If it lasts, then the emotion will be excessive, which will affect the visceral function and cause disorders due to disorders of Qi and blood regulation.

In modern society, there is a marked increase in diseases related to psychosocial factors. Many scholars have suggested that the medical model should develop from a biomedical model to a biological-psychological-social medical model. Physical diseases caused by psychological factors are called psychosomatic diseases. The "heartbreak syndrome" we are discussing here is a typical psychosomatic disease.

The occurrence of "heartbreak syndrome" is related to a person's character, which is a complex psychological factor. American scholars first divided human personality into A and B types. A type was characterized by irritability, impulsiveness, lack of patience, a strong sense of time urgency, and strength to compete. Type B personality was calm, patient, and not strong. If you win, you will arrange your schedule. Type A personality is susceptible to "heartbreak syndrome".

After the September 11 incident, researchers interviewed the survivors of 100 victims. It was found that these sad people felt physical pain during a certain period of time, feeling that their throats became tight and dry, they had difficulty breathing, they needed to sigh, they felt empty in their abdomen, their muscles were weak, and they felt heartache and tension. According to the results of many studies on the sad, the prevalence and mortality of the sad can increase due to excessive sadness, especially within six months of the death of the beloved. Separation anxiety caused by bereavement first makes the sad person feel weak. Other studies have pointed out that middle-aged bereaved people often experience symptoms such as nervousness, depression, fear of going crazy, persistent fear, nightmares, insomnia, loss of work ability and fatigue. They also sometimes complain of headaches, dizziness, absence, indigestion, vomiting, rapid heart beats, and chest pain. ^[2]

Heartbreak syndrome found

The earliest published in the United States "New England Journal of Medicine" published an article by Hunter Champin, Johns Hopkins University, and others, which will be similar to chest pain, shortness of breath and shortness of breath caused by grief or shock. The symptoms of heart disease are called "heartbreak syndrome".

Heart break syndrome theory basis

The seven emotions (hi, anger, worry, thought, sorrow, fear, and shock) mentioned in ancient Chinese medicine books are seven normal emotional reactions, such as sudden, violent or long-term mental ^[3] stimulation, emotional reactions If it is too strong or lasting, the seven emotions will be excessive, which will affect visceral function and cause disorders due to qi and blood regulation.

After the September 11 incident, researchers interviewed the survivors of 100 victims. It was found that these sad people felt physical pain during a certain period of time, feeling that their throats became tight and dry, they had difficulty breathing, they needed to sigh, they felt empty in their abdomen, their muscles were weak, and they felt heartache. According to the results of many studies on the sad, the prevalence and mortality of the sad can increase due to excessive sadness, especially within six months of the death of the beloved. Separation anxiety caused by bereavement first makes the sad person feel weak. Other studies have pointed out that middle-aged bereaved people often experience symptoms such as nervousness, depression, fear of going crazy, persistent fear, nightmares, insomnia, loss of work ability and fatigue. They also sometimes complain of headaches, dizziness, absence, indigestion, vomiting, rapid heart beats, and chest pain.

Difference between heartbreak syndrome and heart disease

Heart disease usually leaves patients with permanent damage, and their condition is not easy to improve; the heart of patients with "heartbreak syndrome" will not suffer permanent damage, usually after hospitalization and bed rest, the condition can be improved.

Hunter Champin, a cardiologist at Johns Hopkins University in charge of the research, explained that when encountering excessive or sudden "emotional stress", the body releases a large amount of adrenaline and other chemicals and flows into blood vessels. These substances are like toxins to the heart, which can affect normal muscle activity or shrink capillaries, weaken the heart's ability to beat, and cause symptoms similar to those of a heart attack.

He pointed out that in the past, a 27-year-old woman had "heartbreak syndrome" after receiving bad news and was dying. However, because the medical staff did not know clearly, she was treated as a heart patient and she was preparing to perform a heart attack for her Pacemaker implantation surgery; fortunately, the attending doctor had clarified the condition before the operation, and the patient was fully recovered and discharged after 3 days. According to Dr. Shirley Smith, a former president of the American Heart Association, according to the study, more emergency doctors and cardiologists will consider the newly-named "heartbreak syndrome" when treating patients with chest pain.

Heartbreak syndrome background

Inevitable sadness in heartbreak syndrome life

Each of us suffers many unavoidable griefs in our lives, such as the death or divorce of parents, siblings, spouses, children, leaving your favorite job or friend, losing physical health, losing pets, and even losing Future dreams, etc., will bring sadness to you or those around you. Grief is in English: Bereavement, Grief, Mourning, the meaning is slightly different. Bereavement is a state of being lost. Grief refers to a feeling of sorrow, anger, and guilt when a person encounters a lost or deprived beloved person or thing. More precisely, you will not be sad unless you have been taken away or lost your beloved. But when everyone is taken away or lost, not everyone is sad. Mourning refers to the public manifestation of grief, which is manifested in a way that has a strong relationship with society, culture and customs.

Various causes of heartbreak syndrome

Most sad emotions are disturbing, such as fear, helplessness, anger, guilt, tension, anxiety, depression and sorrow. Accompanying these sad emotions are numbness, hallucinations, hallucinations, fantasies, chaos, and dreaming. Drinking alcohol or taking drugs such as tranquilizers and trying to avoid feelings of anger and sorrow are all unhealthy strategies used by sad people to avoid pain. Help the sorrowed to recognize that sorrow and related behaviors are normal, and encourage them to express moderately.

For some people, sadness is long-term pain that takes time to heal. For example, anniversary anniversaries, deceased birthdays, and special festivals can all cause people's grief. However, relatives and friends around the sad person often lack the cognition in this area, and often expect the sad person to resume normal life and work and rest as soon as possible, which leads the sad person to suppress the sorrow and turn the normal typical acute sorrow into a complex chronic sorrow. One of the obstacles.

In life, everyone will have one or another of these bad emotions, and people who are good at controlling and regulating emotions can resolve and overcome it in time, thereby minimizing the stimulation and harm of bad emotions. "Emotions and anger are invisible," forcibly suppressing the exposure of emotions will bring great harm to people's physical health. Because changes in mood tone, expression, movement, tear secretion, etc. can be controlled by the will. Changes in heart activity and blood vessels and sweat glands, and contraction of the intestines, stomach, and smooth muscles change with emotions, but are not controlled by people's subjective will. Those who seem to control their emotions actually turn more of their emotions into their bodies and damage their organs. Therefore, if bad emotions have already occurred, they should be dispatched and vented through appropriate channels.

Physiological explanation of heartbreak syndrome

The physiological explanation of "temporary left ventricular apical balloon syndrome", also known as "heartbreak syndrome", usually occurs in patients who have developed severe emotional stress after suffering bereavement. About 1 to 2% of people who have been suspected of having a heart attack later find it. Most of the women who suffer from "heartbreak syndrome" are elderly women. Their symptoms appear to resemble acute myocardial infarction. However, after the heart has been tested, there is no coronary blockage. On the contrary, the appearance of the heart It looks like a balloon, which is caused by improper contraction of the bottom of the heart. Imperial College London experimented with mice to simulate a similar situation. Studies have shown that when the adrenaline is released excessively, the effect on the body will also change. From the original accelerated heartbeat to slowed heartbeat, it will eventually lead to heart failure, but Most patients recover completely within a few days or weeks. Researchers believe that when the body releases ultra-high doses of adrenaline under stress, the speed of the heartbeat will also be adjusted automatically to avoid danger from excessive stimulation. ^[4]