If you are one of the unlucky in love this V-Day, take heart. When you are suffering from a broken heart, you are actually suffering from a bona fide medical condition.
So says the latest in science. Not only triggered by unrequited love, according to Loyola University Health System cardiologist Dr. Binh An P. Phan, so-called "broken heart syndrome" can be contracted during "highly stressful or emotional times, such as a painful breakup, the death of a spouse, the loss of a job or extreme anger."
Broken heart syndrome also goes by the fancy medical term 'stress cardiomyopathy', with symptoms—chest pain and difficulty breathing—not dissimilar to those of a heart attack. The upshot: time does in fact heal. And unlike genuine heart attack patients, there's no lasting damage to those with broken heart syndrome.
"Most people will get better in a few weeks without medical treatment," Phan said. The biology goes a little like this: during a particularly stressful event, the heart gets surged with adrenalin and other stress hormones, causing a narrowing of the arteries that supply blood to the heart. Whereas during a heart attack, blood supply to the heart is restricted by a blood clot in a coronary artery.
Although broken heart syndrome mimics the sensations of a heart attack, Phan advises to err on the side of caution and dial 911 if you experience symptoms like chest pain and shortness of breath.
There you have it, straight from the M.D.'s mouth. So the next time your heart gets crushed, don't let anyone downplay your heartbreak; love can be a genuine sickness.
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