What does broken heart syndrome feel like?

The most common signs and symptoms of broken heart syndrome are angina (chest pain) and shortness of breath. You can experience these things even if you have no history of heart disease. Arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats) or cardiogenic shock also may occur with broken heart syndrome.

Can broken heart syndrome be cured?

There’s no standard treatment for broken heart syndrome. Treatment is similar to treatment for a heart attack until the diagnosis is clear. Most people stay in the hospital while they recover.

Does broken heart syndrome go away on its own?

The symptoms of broken heart syndrome are treatable, and the condition usually reverses itself in days or weeks.

Can broken heart syndrome last for years?

Patients who develop broken heart syndrome due to emotional triggers have a good five year prognosis. Patients with physical stressors have a worse prognosis due to neurologic events, like a stroke.

Why do people think they have broken heart syndrome?

Broken heart syndrome is a group of symptoms similar to those of a heart attack, occurring in response to a physical or emotional stress. Most people affected by broken heart syndrome think they are having a heart attack because symptoms, such as shortness of breath and chest pain, are similar in both conditions.

Is there a cure for broken heart syndrome?

The condition may also be called takotsubo cardiomyopathy, apical ballooning syndrome or stress cardiomyopathy by doctors. The symptoms of broken heart syndrome are treatable, and the condition usually reverses itself in days or weeks.

What is the Japanese name for broken heart syndrome?

Broken heart syndrome is also called stress cardiomyopathy or Takotsubo cardiomyopathy. Takotsubo is the Japanese name for an octopus trapping pot with a wide bottom and narrow neck. The pot resembles the shape of the distressed left ventricle of the heart seen in broken heart syndrome.

Can a stress event cause a broken heart?

Read on for more information about how an extremely stressful event can have an impact on your heart. Broken heart syndrome, also called stress-induced cardiomyopathy or takotsubo cardiomyopathy, can strike even if you’re healthy. (Tako tsubo, by the way, are octopus traps that resemble the pot-like shape of the stricken heart.)