Broken Heart Syndrome
Broken heart syndrome, also called BHS is another name for stress cardiomyopathy. This condition is seen more among women than men and is caused by extreme emotional trauma. The condition had not been accepted and recognized in any of the countries until a few years back. It was felt that people who had BHS were going through a massive heart attack. But on further examination it was noticed that the ECG reports were not the same. People who suffered from the broken heart condition also had normal coronary arteries and therefore the scientists were forced to consider another cause of the chest pain, shortness of breath and other related symptoms.
Broken Heart Syndrome symptoms are very similar to those of a heart attack. Chest pain, pain that travels to the shoulders, upper arms and abdomen, a feeling that you are being squeezed, shortness of breath and sweating are common. While the BHS may not be life threatening, the patient will need to be admitted into the hospital to ensure that the condition is BHS and not a heart attack because the manifested symptoms are very similar.
BHS is triggered off by sudden news of death of a loved one, domestic abuse, robbery, attempt of rape or any such traumatizing situation. Researchers believe that it is a sudden surge in the stress hormones that actually causes the symptoms that mimic a heart attack. Nine out of ten cases of BHS occur in women. Older women are also more prone to BHS that those who are younger.
There are very few cases of BHS that result in sudden death. In most cases the patients recover easily and quickly without any long lasting issues in later life. The only aspect that a patient should keep in mind is that someone who has had a broken heart episode is likely to have another one in the event of another stressful situation. Therefore, before breaking any news to a susceptible person, the patient should be prepared for the news slowly. Extreme BHS complications can include a back up of the fluid into the lungs; something that can be dangerous.
BHS is not a condition that leaves any permanent mark on heart muscles, coronary arteries or nerves. It is at best a temporary but acute episode that occurs due to extreme trauma and stress.
Given that the medical condition has been acknowledged recently, there are no standard medicines that have been set aside to treat the condition. However, broken heart syndrome treatment is similar to that of a heart attack since the symptoms are almost the same. Emergency measures include blood pressure medicines, ACE inhibitors, beta blockers and diuretics. Since the health condition has not been seen to be associated with blocked arteries or high cholesterol, extreme weight management and healthy diet may not be prescribed.