The physical ache of heart break

CAROL HUBSHMAN WAS AT A CLOSE FRIENDS FUNERAL WHEN SHE EXPERIENCED THAT DREADED FEELINGCHEST PAIN.

SOT CAROL HUBSHMAN: It was a doubly stressful day because our youngest daughter Linda lives in California and she was beginning another bout of chemotherapy that day.

HUBSHMAN THOUGHT SHE WAS HAVING A HEART ATTACK BUT HER DOCTOR DIDNT FIND ANY BLOCKAGES IN HER ARTERIES.

SOT CAROL HUBSHMAN: She explained to me that I had had a classic case of broken heart syndrome.

[NATS: "This artery is wide open..."]

BROKEN HEART SYNDROME, OR STRESS CARDIOMYOPATHY, IS THOUGHT TO BE CAUSED BY STRESS HORMONES RUSHING TO THE HEART IN RESPONSE TO AN EMOTIONAL OR PHYSICALLY TAXING EVENT. TYPICAL SYMPTOMS ARE CHEST PAIN, SHORTNESS OF BREATH AND DIZZINESSALL SIGNS THAT ALSO POINT TO A HEART ATTACK.

SOT DR. ILAN WITTSTEIN, MD: People who get broken heart syndrome will suddenly experience a stunning of the heart, so that its no longer acting as an efficient pump and this can cause all the same problems that occur with a heart attack. The big difference being that with broken heart syndrome the heart eventually recovers.

SOT DR. MARC A. TURCO, MD: This occurs in a setting where patients' arteries are normal. There are no particular blockages.

THE SYNDROME IS MOST COMMON IN POST-MENOPAUSAL WOMEN LIKE HUBSHMAN. PHYSICIANS BELIEVE THATS A SIGN IT'S LINKED TO HORMONES.

DR. ILAN WITTSTEIN FIRST PUBLISHED RESEARCH ON BROKEN HEART SYNDROME IN 2005. HE SAYS THE CONDITION HAS GONE FROM UNKNOWN TO WIDELY ACCEPTED OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS.

AND HE SAYS AT LEAST TWO PERCENT OF ALL PATIENTS WHO ARE TAKEN TO LABS WITH SUSPECTED HEART ATTACKS ACTUALLY HAVE BROKEN HEART SYNDROME.

SOT DR. ILAN WITTSTEIN, MD: Those numbers may not sound like a lot until you think about how many thousands and thousands of people are taken every year, if not hundreds of thousands, to the cath lab with a suspected heart attack worldwide.

PAT MASSOF WAS ONE OF DR. WITTSTEINS PATIENTS. FOR HER, BROKEN HEART SYNDROME HIT THE MOMENT HER MOTHER PASSED AWAY.

SOT PAT MASSOF: I experienced the pains, the chest pains right away, but I just thought that it was from crying too much. It was pretty intense. And it didn't go away and that was scary.

[NATS: "Most of this chamber isn't squeezing well at all..."]

BROKEN HEART SYNDROME IS TYPICALLY TREATED WITH SUPPORTIVE CARE, WHICH CAN INCLUDE MEDICATIONBUT MAINLY THE HEART NEEDS TIME TO HEAL.

[NATS: "Here we have that same person just a few days later..."]

FEBRUARY MARKS THE FOUR-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF MASSOFS MOTHERS DEATHAND EVEN THOUGH HER CHEST PAIN IS GONE, HER HEART STILL BREAKS WHEN SHE REMEMBERS HER MOTHER.

SOT PAT MASSOF: Theres not a day that goes by that I dont usually think about my Mom.

FOR UPI.COM, IM MELISSE HINKLE

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• health
• heart
• cardiac
• broken
• syndrome
• chest
• pain
• hospital
• treatment
• symptoms
• attack
• stress
• doctor
• news

[FYIthIStorture]

This happens to people that actually know how to love another person..That is why it is so rare!

[sarah1oszter]

What heart valve was that? The bicuspid or the tricuspid? Or was it both on either side. I want to use this for a project. Awesome vid btw!

[forthepower66]

when people insult me ...i have had a shortness of breath and my heart hurts...I've lost a lot of family members...been bullied, and been constantly rejected and lonely.....

[sara69soso]

@strongbah18 thanks so much you're a great person

[Sky300]

this is why you should always live life happily.

[sara69soso]

I feel it for someone every single day i cry alot it hurts alot :'(

[L96A1ReMiiiX]

im have pain in the heart are and i have no idea why im very sporty i play football not american casue im from scotland but can some 1 help me the pain keeps getting worse every 2 days or so should i take some asprin or something

[Hispanicj]

@FYIthIStorture i agree

[ZOCKER1001]

i love some1 so much that i feel some pain in my heart and i cant breath really good...but im male and 13...so whats dat now? :/

[dan7180]

@biterface03 It's now a year later. are you doing better? cause I had a break up last night and I feel like I might die of a broken heart.

[schizobipolarjoe]

I have these symptoms but my heart isn't broken. I just have to deal with stupid cunt shit............. it was working out with my girlfriend, then throw time she became a stupid annoying needy cunt......... can people have broken heart syndrome if they love people to much....... I'm good to people but the world is lost. there are no good thoughts. media,trends,tv,fashion,dumb new music, and the internet have kill are brains and thoughts.