A woman in her 60s was far from thinking that she should be rushed to the emergency room after eating a green paste that she thought was avocado, but was actually a huge wasabi ball. Once at the hospital, the doctors discovered she was suffering from broken heart syndrome. Discover this story relayed by the New York Post.
Broken heart syndrome is a largely unknown disease that could be serious and therefore requires immediate management and treatment. All previously diagnosed cases were linked to high emotional stress, but a woman in Israel became the first person to suffer from "broken heart syndrome" for dietary reasons alone, without being allergic to the food consumed.
What is broken heart syndrome?
Also known as tako-tsubo syndrome or takotsubo, which literally means "octopus trap" in Japanese, broken heart syndrome is a cardiomyopathy that can occur as a result of great emotional stress. It is caused by the sudden and sudden discharge of stress hormones called catecholamines that temporarily affects the heart's ability to pump blood. Thus, it is a syndrome that is usually caused by situations of intense stress such as the loss of a loved one, a divorce, a breakup, an asthma attack, physical stress, etc. It should however be noted that it can also occur as a result of happy events such as a surprise or a great victory because they also cause the release of stress hormones.
How this woman ended up in the hospital with broken heart syndrome:
While attending a wedding, the sexagenarian saw a green dough she thought was avocado on the table, and tasted it with a spoon. Only when she felt her taste buds catch fire did she realize that it was not avocado, but wasabi, a Japanese condiment made from a spicy plant of the day. same family as mustard and radish. The second symptom she felt, five minutes later, was a strong pressure in her chest, which radiated in her arms. She felt this pressure for several hours but still had to attend the wedding until the end. The pain eventually faded away, but returned to the charge the next day, prompting her to go to the hospital urgently.
After consulting a doctor, it was found that she did not have heart failure, but the electrocardiogram showed a dysfunction of her left ventricle. Thus, the diagnosis fell: she suffered from broken heart syndrome.
Some symptoms of broken heart syndrome that you should watch for:
There are some symptoms to recognize broken heart syndrome including:
- Sudden and extreme chest pains
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- An irregular heartbeat
- Low blood pressure
- Dizziness.
You should immediately see a doctor if you experience one or more of these symptoms to see if it is stress-related heart disease or a true heart attack. In addition, broken heart syndrome can sometimes be as dangerous as an infarction and cause the death of the suffering person if not treated in time. However, if the management is done correctly, the patient will recover in a few days or even weeks at most.