UAE CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) -The pandemic has affected the mental and physical health of many people, but can the stress caused by the pandemic cause a broken heart?
Broken heart syndrome occurs when the heart muscles weaken, causing chest pain and shortness of breath, the syndrome usually appears after someone has lost a loved one, hence the name.
Local doctors say that while they have not seen cases in the Chippewa Valley, they have seen an increase in “Broken Heart Syndrome” due to COVID-19.
Cardiology Director Travis Christman says: “What we are seeing are the effects of COVID-19 stress and quarantine. We can drink a little more, we can eat a little more, which can cause our body to suffer that stress. The response and the kind of always being under that constant stress where our bodies release a little more adrenaline, our heart rate increases, our blood pressure increases. “
During a heart attack, there are blockages in the heart.
Although it can present as a heart attack, there are no blockages during broken heart syndrome, and most people recover within a few days.
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