managing healthcare in a new town

Moving to a new town comes with a lot of tasks to get done. Not only do you have to get all of your belongings moved, but you have to make changes to your medical care facilities. So, when you get to your new home town, do you know what health care clinics you can rely on for the care of your family? Will you couple your family's healthcare with both a clinic and a PCP? This blog will give you several suggestions about how to manage the changes in your family's healthcare adaptations to ensure you receive the best possible care in your new home town.

Heartbreak And Heartache: The Truth About Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy

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Over the course of your lifetime, you've probably heard plenty of love songs or read romance novels about someone suffering with a broken heart. While broken hearts have been the inspiration for many love stories and song lyrics, takotsubo cardiomyopathy, also called broken-heart syndrome, is a real condition that should never be taken lightly. It may even lead to serious complications if the sufferer already has underlying physiological heart conditions.

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is a heart condition that develops following periods of severe emotional stress and causes the same symptoms as a heart attack. These symptoms are real, not imagined.

The condition got its unusual name due to the fact that the left ventricle of the heart in sufferers of the condition balloons out and resembles a Japanese octopus trap called a takotsubo.

This ballooning is suspected to be the result of an unusual hormone surge. A huge influx of stress hormones may trigger arteries to become constricted and lead to the ballooning condition in the left ventricle of the heart.

The constriction of arteries causes a disruption in the heart's ability to pump effectively. Fluid accumulates in the heart. In some cases, this fluid accumulation can cause heart failure to set in.

Symptoms

Typical heart attack symptoms, such as chest pain or tightness, arm pain, shortness of breath, sweating, and feeling weak can be symptoms of takotsubo cardiomyopathy. The difference is that during an actual heart attack the symptoms are caused by an artery being blocked. In takotsubo cardiomyopathy, there is no underlying blockage causing the symptoms.

What causes it?

Sudden and unexpected events often lead to the condition. Finding out you have a serious medical condition, the death of a loved one, job loss, divorce, and extreme financial stress can trigger the condition. Any event that can cause a sudden hormone surge may trigger it. This includes even good surprises that shock you emotionally.

Women are more at risk than men

Most incidences of takotsubo cardiomyopathy occur in the female population. In fact, 90% of cases happen to women. Women who are postmenopausal or over the age of 50 are more likely to suffer from the condition.

While some cases do occur in men, they are less likely to be afflicted with the condition.

Treatments and prognosis

Your heart doctor may recommend beta-blocker drugs to prevent a further surging of hormones. Other heart failure medications such as beta-blockers and diuretics can be beneficial.

Fortunately, if those who develop the condition are healthy with no underlying cardiac disease, the condition usually clears up within a few weeks to a few months without any harmful effects.

However, some cases do lead to heart failure which will need to be treated with medication.

If you are under extreme stress and develop any unusual symptoms, you should always seek medical treatment. A heart doctor or cardiac specialist will determine if you are suffering from takotsubo cardiomyopathy and can assist you in receiving the treatments necessary to prevent further complications. Contact a local health care provider, like Cayuga Medical Center, for more information.

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21 September 2015