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Q: After losing a loved one, my heart hurts so badly that I’m wondering if it’s possible to die of a broken heart. Is it?
Yes, it is possible, but it rarely happens. When it does, it’s probably not the way you’re thinking of.
There’s a condition called broken heart syndrome, also known as takotsubo cardiomyopathy, in which a specific part of the heart temporarily enlarges and develops sudden weakness in the heart’s ability to pump blood after a severely stressful event.
This can lead to symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, unusual fatigue, dizziness or nausea — all of which can resemble a heart attack.
[Read: Safe Exercise Tips for Recovering from a Heart Attack.]
While broken heart syndrome is fairly rare, it can happen to anyone, though it’s traditionally been more common in women.
It can happen in response to the death of a loved one, a distressing breakup or divorce, bankruptcy, natural disasters (like wildfires), a bad car accident or other sudden, major stressful events, says Dr. Poulina Uddin, a cardiologist and director of the Women’s Heart Center at Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, California.
Research has found that in two-thirds of cases, the syndrome is preceded by an emotional or physical trigger, with one third of cases occurring for unknown reasons.
If you have any of these symptoms or others that worry you, it’s important to get checked out by a health care provider.
“It’s relatively easy to diagnose broken heart syndrome with an EKG (electrocardiogram),” Uddin says. “More often than not, it can be treated with medications and reversed. It doesn’t necessarily cause permanent damage.”
If you don’t have these symptoms, but you feel truly heartbroken and bereft, acknowledge your feelings and focus on taking good care of yourself.
[READ How to Assess Your Heart Health]
“Heartbreak is part of life, unfortunately,” says Dr. Nicholas Hendren, a transplant cardiologist and assistant professor in the department of internal medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center. “Even if the heart itself isn’t damaged, it doesn’t mean those feelings aren’t real.”
To heal a broken heart, it’s important to tend to your body’s basic needs by making a point to get regular exercise (specifically, a combination of cardio and strength training four to five times per week) and plenty of sleep and to consume a healthy diet), Uddin says. Doing this will help with your recovery and resiliency, she adds.
There’s no denying that grief and heartbreak are stressful, which is why it’s important to also come to your emotional rescue. How? By engaging in coping mechanisms that work for you, whether it’s meditating, doing yoga, writing in a journal, painting, listening to music, engaging in deep breathing exercises or spending time with trusted friends and family members.
[READ Grounding Techniques: Exercises for Anxiety and Panic Attacks]
The key is to rely on what helps you, not necessarily what helps someone else.
“Your stress management tool shouldn’t cause you more stress,” Uddin says.
In addition, make an effort to be gentle and patient with yourself by exercising self-compassion — by treating yourself with the same support and understanding that you would give to a close friend or loved one.
Research has shown that the combination of social support and self-compassion can go a long way toward easing grief symptoms after personal loss.
That may mean cutting yourself slack in your productivity, validating your feelings, comforting yourself with healthy activities and reminding yourself that you’re strong and you can get through this.
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Can You Die From a Broken Heart? originally appeared on usnews.com
