A 60-year-old woman living in Beersheba, Israel, felt a painful pressure in her chest while enjoying food at a wedding. The pain soon spread to her arm. This sensation lasted for several hours until the pain subsided.

She visited the hospital the next day when her chest pain returned and she felt weak. The emergency room doctors performed an ultrasound examination and detected abnormal activity in the left ventricle of the heart. Some segments of the heart muscle did not contract at all, and there were segments with reduced contraction.

 

The doctors determined that Mr. A was suffering from a condition called Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, also known as "broken heart syndrome," which causes symptoms similar to a heart attack such as chest pain and shortness of breath. Takotsubo is a Japanese jar used for catching octopuses. This condition twists the muscle of the left ventricle, making it look like a jar with a narrow neck used for catching octopuses.

She was administered steroids and medication to lower her blood pressure.

It included an ACE inhibitor that relaxes arteries and veins, and a beta blocker that blocks the effects of stress hormones on the heart. She was sent to the cardiac rehabilitation center, and a month later, an echocardiogram showed that her heart function was normal.

 

Doctors believed that this condition was caused by medication use, neurological disorders, physical or emotional stress, or allergic reactions to certain foods.

 

An unexpected cause was revealed. A few minutes before the symptoms appeared, she mistakenly thought wasabi was avocado and scooped it with a teaspoon to eat.

 

This is the first case of wasabi consumption causing romantic rejection syndrome. Some compounds found in wasabi can be beneficial to health like anticancer drugs, but consuming large amounts can lead to severe stress responses that impair heart function. This case was reported by the popular science media 'Live Science'.

 

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy mainly occurs after severe stress or emotional shock. Causes can include the death of a loved one or a breakup. It is characterized by a temporary abnormal dilation of the left ventricle of the heart. It occurs more frequently in women over middle age.

 

The main symptoms of this disease include chest pain, shortness of breath, palpitations (a feeling of rapid heartbeat), dizziness, and fainting, which are similar to a myocardial infarction but differ in that the coronary arteries are not blocked. It usually recovers naturally, but in the early stages, medication may be needed to stabilize heart function.

 

 

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I really like wasabi.

Even if you eat just a little bit

Sometimes my nose feels completely clear.

 

I ate this with a teaspoon.

Is this kind of chest pain? Difficulty breathing? It seems like there's also nausea.