Is heartbreak really harmful to your health? Just broke up or divorced is the worst? Expert: The pain feels like "having been in a car accident"
Encountering great changes can be heartbreaking and harmful to your health! Breakup and divorce may cause actual heartbreak
Falling in love is always ecstatic and joyful, but can the subjective “heartbreak” experienced after a breakup really be transmitted to the body, causing a real “heartbreak”? Physical damage caused by severe stress is often related to the secretion of the “stress hormone” cortisol. Deborah Lee, a sexual and reproductive medicine specialist at the National Health Service in the UK, said that when an individual is involved in a romantic relationship, two hormones will be secreted, namely the “cuddle hormone” oxytocin and the “happiness hormone” dopamine. When relationships change or you encounter severe stress, the concentrations of these two hormones will drop significantly, causing an increase in cortisol. It may be accompanied by conditions such as high blood pressure, weight gain, hemorrhoids, or increased anxiety.
Lee pointed out that a previous study published in “Biological Sciences” pointed out that after analyzing the brain MRI of people who had just experienced a breakup, it was found that there was a certain degree of damage in specific brain areas of their brains, including the “main sensory cortex area” and “dorsal area”. “Lateral posterior insula” is highly stimulated by emotions. “The nerve stimulation of heartbreak is like specific physical pain. Some patients even compare the chest pain and panic attacks caused by heartbreak to the pain of a car accident.”
Is the decline in “1 indicator” a sign of heartbreak? The risk of death may soar to more than 40%
Lee further explained that from the perspective of the human body’s autonomic nerves, “sympathetic nerves” and “parasympathetic nerves” usually have opposite effects. The former dominates the body’s fight and flight responses, making people feel tight, such as vasoconstriction; The latter is responsible for keeping the body in a state of rest and relaxation, such as vasodilation. However, the hormones released in the body when heartbreak stimulates both the sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves, disrupting the functioning of the brain and heart.
Autonomic disorders may also lead to lower heart rate variability (HRV). Under normal conditions, the heart rate will swing back and forth between fast and slow, maintaining sharp control, and the heart rate variability will be large; however, if the autonomic nervous system is abnormal, the heart rate variability will decrease, and fatigue, anxiety, depression, and lack of sleep may easily occur. .
“According to previous research, widowers and widows have a 41% increased risk of death compared to ordinary people due to long-term low heart rhythm variability in the first 6 months after losing their partner,” Lee said.
Will extreme stress trigger “broken heart syndrome”? The occurrence of 3 symptoms may damage the blood pumping function
In addition to the impact on the autonomic nervous system, under extreme sadness and pressure, the feeling of heartbreak may actually damage the heart and cause actual “heartbreak”! According to guidelines published by the authoritative medical media “Mayo Clinic”, “Broken heart syndrome”, also known as Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, is a temporary myocardial disease caused by extreme physical or emotional stress. Patients may experience sudden chest pain, shortness of breath, and even nausea and vomiting.
Mayo Clinic points out that broken heart syndrome causes the heart’s pumping function to be damaged, while the rest of the heart continues to work normally, causing the heart to contract more violently, which is why patients are prone to chest pain and shortness of breath. If you experience drastic changes in your body or experience the above symptoms after experiencing acute stress, you should seek medical treatment immediately.
How to repair a “broken heart” after experiencing trauma? 8 things to promote the secretion of “love hormones”
How to mend a “broken heart” after experiencing a traumatic event? The answer may lie in the love hormone “oxytocin.” “Frontiers in Psychology” research indicates that oxytocin can help protect the cardiovascular system from damage by lowering blood pressure and reducing inflammation in the body; and the hormone has also been found to help the body replace injured and dead heart muscle cells to provide power for heart contraction. .
Oxytocin plays an important role in building relationships and trust, and is secreted when people hug each other, touch pets, have physical contact, have sex, or have an orgasm. In addition, social activities such as gatherings of family and friends, outings and other events that increase happiness will also increase the secretion of oxytocin. Research also supports that when people show empathy, take the initiative to help others or think about others, oxytocin will also increase in the brain.
Even though the benefits of oxytocin on mental health have scientific basis, it is recommended that if people are depressed, anxious or under great stress and do not see improvement for a long time, they should still consult a psychosomatic department, psychiatrist, or psychological counselor immediately to improve their physical and mental conditions.
source:
Broken heart syndrome - Mayo Clinic
19 Autonomic Nervous System - Oxford Academic
The Role of Oxytocin in Cardiovascular Protection
Social rejection shares somatosensory representations with physical pain
Oxytocin promotes epicardial cell activation and heart regeneration after cardiac injury
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