Broken Heart Syndrome: Know how stress affects your heart

Cardiology | by Dr. Sabyasachi Pal | Published on 31/03/2022

You must have heard that stress is not good for your heart, but have you ever tried to find out why? Stress is perceived to be an entirely psychological problem, but it is very much linked to your heart, and believe it or not, stress can actually cause your heart to break. In medical terms, the condition is commonly referred to as Broken Heart Syndrome or Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy, a condition marked by the temporary disruption in the normal functioning of a part of the heart, while the rest of it continues to function normally. This happens because of the rise in stress hormones, such as cortisol, which are likely to elevate the risks of stress-induced heart failure. As per the best cardiologist in Kolkata, the condition is more likely to affect women who have hit menopause and is likely to trigger symptoms like breathlessness, unconsciousness, fainting, arrhythmia, and palpitations.

How to relieve stress to reduce the risks of broken heart syndrome?

• Identify your triggers - The first and foremost thing that you need to do is to recognize or identify the risk factors. There can be multiple reasons responsible for it and pinpointing the exact one can help you to manage it efficiently. You will need to analyze various areas of your life, be it related to your work, family, relationships, or anything else. Once you know the reason behind your stress, you need to assess the possibility of reducing it and how you can do it. You can also take help from a specialist if you are finding it difficult to do the same on your own.

• Divert the negative energy towards doing something positive - Many people tend to hit the gym when they are going through lows in their life. This is primarily because it helps them to divert all their energy utilize it for their own good. When you feel good about yourself, it is likely to help boost your mood and develop a positive mindset. You do not necessarily need to go to the gym to do so. Even random workout sessions at home or simply going out for walks can help. Try to be regular and persistent. Even working out 5 times a week is enough. Further, staying active and indulging in physical activities is quite likely to help improve your sleep cycle as well. The experts from the best cardiac hospital in Kolkata suggest 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity every week is enough to keep stress away.

• Let the tears fall - We often tend to hide our tears, thinking it is a sign of weakness, but this is not true at all. Crying does not make you weak, and so doesn't give voice to your pain. Sometimes, you just need to let go and let the tears fall. Whether you do it alone or in front of your loved ones, it does help to relieve stress to some extent. Some experts even suggest that crying might help to enhance the secretion of the feel-good hormones, popularly known as endorphins.

• Celebrate your imperfections - Whether it’s our workplace or school, we see competition everywhere and often find ourselves in a race where we want to exceed in terms of perfection. Most of us have a fear of failing and not being able to meet our own expectations, as well as those of people around us. It is okay to fail and equally important to understand that no one is going to judge you. Failing is an important part of learning and you cannot really learn the value of success unless you taste failure. So instead of stressing about it, just face your flaws with a smile and celebrate your imperfections.

• Prioritize me time - The best thing that you can do for yourself and your peace of mind is to spend some time with yourself. No matter what you do during this time, as long as you do it for yourself and it makes you happy, it counts. You can read your favorite book, go out for a cup of coffee, prepare your favorite meal, listen to music, anything that you would like to do but don't get time for. Me time solely focuses on you celebrating yourself with activities you love. This is a great stressbuster, especially for women.

To know more about broken heart syndrome and how you can manage the same, consult the best cardiologists in Kolkata today.