A sad man can die?
Yes, say the doctor.
The contractors also said it was possible for them to list the deaths of their loved ones after death in a few months or even weeks.
Last Wednesday – one day after the death of her daughter Carrie Fisher, the death of actress Debbie Reynolds led her to speak, and she died of grief.
In Singapore, doctors say they have seen patients with “break-even syndrome”, a condition in which the heart is impaired after a patient experiences severe emotional stress.
Emotions such as sadness, anger and fear can trigger the release of stress hormones such as adrenaline. Excessive, which temporarily “kill” the heart muscle, cardiologists say.
The condition, also known as Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, usually does not lead to death.
Tako tsubo is a Japanese term for octopus capture and resembles the shape of the left ventricle of the heart of someone with the condition.
“This is more common in postmenopausal women,” said Yeo Khung Keong, a senior consultant at the National Heart Center in Singapore.
“This weakening of the heart is usually temporary and mimics a heart attack,” he said, “and the patient may have chest pain, dyspnea, or even heart failure.”
Before her death, Ms. Reynolds was allegedly suffering a stroke and was taken to hospital.
According to reports, her son said that the pressure of his sister’s death was too much for her.
Dr. Edgar Tay, a senior cardiologist at the National University Cardiac Center, says patients who experience this condition are usually experiencing a high degree of stress.
“They may have witnessed the death of a family member, or they may have been with their family at the time of a heart attack,” he said.
According to a study done in the UK in 2014, published in a journal called Jama Medicine, the number of heart attacks or strokes a month after the death of a loved one is double that of no sorrow.
Contractor Roland Tay said he saw a case in which the relatives of every two years died within weeks or months.
They are usually elderly couples without children.
“This may be due to a lack of support,” Mr Tay said. “People need to look after the mourners.
Ms. Ang Jolie Mei, general manager of the funeral parlor, said sadness can be dealt with in two ways.
People can succumb to it or find the strength to face them in the situation.
She recalled a case in 2010 when a trailer tried to overtake their MPV when a tragic accident in which five family members died.
A woman survived, but her husband, mother and three children died in the accident. “But women try to stay strong for her family,” Miss Ann said.
kcarolyn@sph.com.sg
This article was first published on Jan 01, 2017.
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