You were in a long-term relationship that was about to lead somewhere more. That’s only logical, after all that is the purpose of the long-term relationship. Suddenly, almost out of nowhere the relationship ended and you find yourself in unfamiliar territory. You thought you have found the right person for you, got used to them being around, and there is no more that person, no more relationship, and no possibility to have a great person with that person. Then, the processing of the breakup starts; you feel physically powerless and think it’s all in your head. However, you are wrong, broken heart isn’t just a cheesy line from the chick flicks you love to watch, and it is more than a verse from all breakup songs you listen to all the time. It is real and this article will show you how to deal with it.
What is broken heart syndrome?
Broken heart syndrome is a temporary heart condition which occurs when an individual is faced with stressful situations like a death of a loved person, or breakup with their partner. When a person suffers from a broken heart syndrome there is a temporary disruption in the normal pumping function in their heart, remainder of the heart works properly or sometimes it can have stronger contractions.
Broken heart syndrome is also called takotsubo cardiomyopathy, stress cardiomyopathy, or apical ballooning syndrome.
What are the symptoms of the broken heart syndrome?
Symptoms of the broken heart syndrome include:
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain.
It should be noted that symptoms of the broken heart syndrome are temporary and the syndrome itself is gone within a week.
Is broken heart syndrome similar to heart attack?
Due to similar symptoms, broken heart syndrome is often associated with the heart attack. However, these two conditions aren’t the same and there are some differences. For example, symptoms of broken heart syndrome are temporary, as mentioned above. It is advised to see a doctor if you experience persistent shortness of breath or chest pain. Also, if you notice the heartbeat is irregular you should go and see a doctor.
Here are some other differences between broken heart syndrome and heart attack:
- EKG results do not look the same
- Blood tests in broken heart syndrome don’t show any sign of heart damage
- Other tests don’t show blockages in coronary arteries in broken heart syndrome
- Tests show ballooning and the unusual movements in the left ventricle in broken heart syndrome
- Individual recovers from the broken heart syndrome quickly, within a few days, while recovery from heart attack is a longer process that can last up to entire month or even more.
How to deal with broken heart syndrome?
When it comes to medicine, there is no standard treatment for the broken heart syndrome. Treatment itself is very similar to the treatment of heart attack (due to similarity of symptoms) until doctor establishes the diagnosis. The doctor is most likely going to prescribe some heart medications.
It should be noted that broken heart syndrome does not require any type of surgery. However, even though broken heart syndrome is characterized by fast recovery, it should be taken seriously. This means that as soon as you notice symptoms described above you should see your doctor. If the individual doesn’t receive treatment for this syndrome it can potentially lead to other, more severe heart diseases.
Recovery from breakup
It is no coincidence that women are more prone to broken heart syndrome than men, generally they find it more difficult to deal with breakups and relationship trauma. As mentioned above, this syndrome occurs due to stressful situations caused by loss of a loved one or a breakup with a loved person. Here are some guidelines how to recover from relationship trauma:
- Don’t run from your pain, feel it – the best and the hardest way to recover from a breakup (or any other type of emotional pain) is to allow yourself to go through the pain, not around that pain. The more you try to avoid your pain and admit to yourself how you feel, the longer it will last.
- Use the experience as the chance to evolve – breakups are hard, nobody can deny it. After the breakup we go through several stages, and the first stage is to blame ourselves and trying to rerun the images in our head that would point where did we go wrong. Unfortunately, life doesn’t work that way. You should bear in mind that everything happens for a reason and the breakup probably happened because that person wasn’t right for you. The good thing is, the right person for you might be just around the corner. Breakups should be dealt with like all other situations in our lives – as an experience that can teach us something. For example, it can teach you that you worth more than you think and you shouldn’t change yourself just to make other person accept you. It can also teach you that some other person will love you for who you are.
- Let go of attachment – people usually define themselves through their relationships. The sooner you stop doing that, the faster you will recover. You should know that you can be happy without some other person, and you are a great person, worth of all happiness even without boyfriend and girlfriend to tell you that. Why is this step important? It’s important because if you want someone to appreciate you, you have to start appreciating yourself first.
- Exercise, be happy – exercise is the great way to deal with breakup. It makes you look better, improves your health, and it is a great stress and anxiety reliever.
- Other things you can do are: enjoying little things in life that you neglected before, writing, finding a hobby, going out etc.
Conclusion
Broken heart syndrome is a real medical condition that occurs after the death of loved one, harsh breakup etc. Due to the fact the symptoms of this syndrome and heart attack are similar, it is advised to see a doctor and wait for a diagnosis. Broken heart syndrome is by its nature not dangerous and recovery is fast.
Reference
https://www.glozine.com/relationship
http://lcimag.com/2015/06/processed-foods-and-heart-disease-how-are-they-related/
About the author:
Elena Shephard, from New York, Albany, USA. Apart from research, she do social development work and also write articles on health, fitness and beauty related topics. She has also written several fitness based articles for various online websites. She has vast experience in writing articles in both corporate and association environments. Get in touch with her on Facebook and Twitter
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Danielle is the owner of Today's the Best Day. She strives to provide creative and uplifting content in order to enrich the parenting experience for women everywhere. Danielle hopes to help you and your family to make every day the best day! 
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