"Broken Heart Syndrome" is an unusual name for a pathology. The origin of this name is due to the etiology of the disease: when a person experiences a strong emotional shock, it, one way or another, affects the work of the heart. But in some cases, violations in the functioning of the cardiac system become not just a deviation, but a symptom of the disease. In medical sources, you can find another name for the pathology - "takotsubo cardiomyopathy".
Essence of disease
The most common cause of the syndrome is the body's reaction to the death of a loved one. Stress cardiomyopathy is a disease of the vascular-cardiac system that manifests itself in the form of discomfort in the chest area after severe stress.
According to statistics, women face this problem more often than men, due to the pronounced emotionality of the fair sex. The largest number of cases of the disease was recorded in patients aged 60up to 70 years old.
According to the ICD-10 system for encoding somatic pathologies, the "broken heart" syndrome is designated as I42.8.
Etiology
The exact origin of the disease is unknown. One can only guess the approximate mechanism of how the pathology develops.
Initially, there is some kind of psycho-emotional stress, which leads to an imbalance in the autonomic system. It consists of sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions. One of them is responsible for the process of relaxation of the body, the other for its activation.
These two departments never work at the same time. The activity of one is always replaced by the launch of another. If the existing balance is disturbed, which is known in medical practice as "vegetovascular dystonia", there is a sharp increase in the concentration of adrenaline in the blood. This hormone slows down the heart by narrowing the arteries and damaging tissue in the body's main muscle.
Symptoms
Symptoms of "broken heart syndrome" are similar to those of a heart attack. Thus, the patient may experience:
- sharp pain in the sternum, radiating to the back or arm;
- fluctuations in blood pressure;
- shortness of breath after little or no exercise;
- physical weakness, drowsiness, lack of appetite.
When a person experiencing these symptoms takes "Nitroglycerin", the tablet does nothas the desired therapeutic effect. The attack may take some time. However, there is no deterioration in well-being characteristic of real heart attacks.
Development stages
"Broken Heart Syndrome" proceeds spasmodically. Periods of attacks are replaced by persistent remission. Vegetative disorder is the time of absence of symptomatology characteristic of the pathology. An imbalance in the work of the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions makes the nervous system vulnerable. Under the influence of any provoking factor, which can be stress, fatigue, or even a cold, "broken heart syndrome" goes into an aggravation stage.
Forms of disorder
The existing classification of the pathological process considers it from the point of view of the localization of damage caused to the heart muscle during attacks. The disease can be diffuse or local. How are these two forms different?
Diffuse damage to the tissues of the heart muscle is less dangerous than local. However, it also requires close supervision by the attending physician. Determination of a specific form of the disease is possible only after an electrocardiogram. With the help of this research option, a specialist can examine any morphological changes in the tissues of the heart muscle.
Medical examination
Diagnosis of "broken heart syndrome" is carried out according to a specific algorithm that allows you to differentiate the disease from similar pathologies.
Originally doctorexamines the patient's history. To this end, he can ask a number of clarifying questions: how long ago did the first symptoms of the disease appear, what stress factors preceded their occurrence, which of the family members had such a diagnosis confirmed, etc. It is important to understand that pathology develops solely as a reaction to an acute emotional experience. For the formation of a disease, the fact of the presence of some event that can cause such significant changes in the physiology of the human body is needed.
After that, a diagnostic plan is assigned, which differs little from the examination of any other cardiac diseases:
- blood test for high and low density cholesterol (lipidogram);
- electrocardiogram;
- Echocardiography;
- computer or magnetic resonance imaging;
- vascular angiography;
- X-ray of the heart.
There is no need to go through the entire list of tests. In each individual case, the doctor determines the list of laboratory and functional studies separately.
Treatment methods
The exact causes of takotsubo cardiomyopathy are unknown. Therefore, specialists cannot currently offer a universal plan to combat the disease. Doctors usually prescribe a course of therapy similar in principle to the treatment of hypertension. It can help prevent complications such as heart attack or stroke.
Drug treatment includes antihypertensive drugs: ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers. Emotional distress is often the cause of "broken heart syndrome". Therefore, for therapeutic purposes, it is necessary to use medications that help stabilize the emotional state. You don't have to choose them yourself. Firstly, such drugs must be taken for fairly long courses. Secondly, they have a large number of side effects and can be addictive.
To stop the symptoms of the "broken heart" syndrome, you can use antidepressants, tranquilizers, vegetative stabilizers. With a slight severity of manifestations of pathology, it is better to use herbal preparations. Their action is softer. The therapeutic effect will take longer, but the likelihood of side effects is reduced to almost zero.
In order for the body to have enough strength and energy to eliminate a somatic disorder, a person needs to receive good nutrition during the rehabilitation period. The question of the absorption of vitamins in the form of tablets is still open. However, the benefits of minerals from food are enormous.
The diet itself should be made taking into account the presence of cardiovascular pathology. Coffee, strong tea, alcohol, fatty and s alty foods should be completely excluded from the menu. The purpose of such nutrition is to reduce the risk of atherosclerosis, which makes it difficult for the heart muscle to work.
The treatment of "broken heart syndrome" consists of a complexprocedures aimed at alleviating the state of he alth and preventing life-threatening complications. Independent struggle with this disease is highly undesirable. It is better to find a specialist who will control the process of therapy and subsequent rehabilitation. For example, residents of the capital with this problem can contact the Bakulev Cardiology Center.
Prevention Methods
Preventing the development of the syndrome is very difficult, because pathology is a physiological reaction to a strong emotional experience. On the other hand, stress resistance is a property of the human body that can theoretically be developed.
To do this, you must adhere to the rules of a he althy lifestyle, namely, to engage in physical activity. To this end, an average person should spend at least 300 minutes of their own time per week. At the same time, one should not give the body excessive loads that have a bad effect on the condition of the tissues of the heart and blood vessels.
Nutrition is also important. Eating large amounts of fatty and high-calorie foods provokes the development of atherosclerosis, which destroys blood vessels and changes the composition of the blood. Malnutrition provokes hormonal imbalance, which can cause complications from all body systems.
A key role in the successful prevention of any pathology is played by regular visits to the doctor for medical examination. A person can independently choose where exactly to go to him: to the district clinic, Bakulevsky cardiologicalcenter, private office of a cardiologist. At the same time, it is recommended to visit a specialist at least once a year, including in the absence of serious he alth problems or severe symptoms of heart failure.
Possible Complications
Despite the lack of universal therapeutic measures to combat the pathology, it is extremely important to follow all the instructions of the attending physician after its detection. It is not necessary to refuse medical treatment, adherence to a fairly strict diet. These measures are aimed not only at eliminating the disease, but also at protecting the cardiovascular system from the development of the following complications:
- chronic heart failure;
- heart attack;
- arrhythmia;
- thromboembolism;
- pulmonary edema.
Forecast
With stress cardiomyopathy, the risk of death is extremely low, but still exists. With a timely visit to the doctor and the implementation of all his recommendations, recovery occurs in about 2 months.
Knowing the main causes and initial manifestations of the pathological process, do not hesitate to treat it. You need to immediately seek qualified medical help. In addition, this information helps to prevent the development of the disease in the early stages, therefore, to avoid the occurrence of possible complications.
