Studies suggest that it is quite possible to die of a broken heart.
All of us go through sad heartbreaks sometimes or others. You met a guy or girl of your dream; it turns out that they are already married! What a heartbreak. Your first love left you and got married yesterday; you are so heartbroken. Crying your heart out and feeling choked is considered pretty normal by everyone. But is it? Are you so much in pain that it feels like you could die? Can you die of heartbreak? Well, science says, yes, it is very much possible. How? Let’s find out more about it.
How is it possible?
Though it seems like a far-fetched idea, something that is straight out of a melodramatic film, this could happen for real. The feeling of extreme sadness, sometimes triggers by the loss of loved ones in death, can lead to heartbreak and can even kill you. But here, it is important to know that the chances of that happening is extremely low, but it is not impossible. This phenomenon is known as broken heart syndrome. What happens is that some tragic event triggers the inflow of stress hormones. So, in simple words, in a short-term scenario, this can cause a fatal heart attack. Yes, now you can believe what old Bollywood masala movies tried to tell you. That father of the bride often died of heartbreak when his daughter elopes on the day of her wedding.
Can extreme grief and sadness trigger a heart attack?
We all are aware of the fact that fear, anger, stress and depression are extremely strong emotions that could lead to heart ailments. Do you know there is a medical term for this condition? It is called Takotsubocardiomyopathy, after the Japanese physician, who was the first to identify it. He believes that this condition is caused by extreme grief or sudden stress. Interestingly, this condition is known to be extremely common in women than man.
What is treatment, and how can you recover?
Thankfully, broken heart cases can be easily treated, and most of them get their happy ending. In an extremely rare situation, it can cause death because of extreme stress and grief. If treated on time, the patient can make a full recovery within a few weeks or one or two months. Only 20% of the patient with broken heart syndrome can die due to heart failure.
So, be rest assured, you can die of heartbreak, but most probably you won’t.
