Amount of broken hearts rises during pandemic
2020 has been one rollercoaster ride of a year and now there's some more bad news...
Stress cardiomyopathy, also more commonly known as 'broken heart syndrome', has seen a substantial increase, by becoming four times more common since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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According to researchers who conducted a study at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, USA, the extended lockdown period has had an even bigger effect on our hearts than initially predicted.
So what causes broken heart syndrome?
In most cases, it is triggered by extreme emotions, such as the sudden loss of a loved one or friend, financial loss, or severe stress.
All emotions and feelings that are experienced quite frequently during a pandemic.
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The unexpected rush of adrenaline causes the heart muscle to weaken, which leads to irregular heart rhythms and interferes with the heart pumping function. This ultimately causes a ballooning effect.
Very similar to a heart attack, sufferers will experience shortness of breath and sudden chest pain, but this is only temporary and can reverse itself in a few days or weeks.
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Some good news is that most people recover from broken heart syndrome without any long term side effects, only 10 percent become critically ill, and between one and two percent of cases are fatal.
Ways of preventing broken heart syndrome are maintaining good mental health, trying to focus more on the present than the future, eating healthy, and exercising.
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