Joe Garcia, the husband of Irma Garcia, one of two teachers who lost his life in the Texas gun attack , died at home from a heart attack. Family members say it could be a case of broken heart syndrome.

"I truly believe that Joe died of a broken heart and the loss of the love of his life for more than 25 years was too much to bear," wrote Irma Garcia's cousin Debra Austin in a post on the family's website. in GoFundMe.

Broken heart syndrome, also known as stress-induced cardiomyopathy or takotsubo cardiomyopathy, is a serious syndrome, which if not caught in time, has fatal consequences for life. This syndrome does not always have fatal consequences, but it can happen to anyone. Here's how it differs from emotional pain after a traumatic experience.

Broken heart syndrome is associated with heart muscle dysfunction following a stressful, traumatic event. It all starts with severe and sudden chest pain when the addition of stress hormones interferes with pumping blood to a part of the heart.

Stress hormones are added during traumatic events like the death of a loved one, a breakup, physical injuries, or even during positive events like winning the lottery or a surprise party. Individuals with broken heart syndrome begin to notice symptoms a few minutes to a few hours after the stressful event.

Often, broken heart syndrome is misdiagnosed as a heart attack because the symptoms are similar.

In addition to chest pain and breathing problems, patients with broken heart syndrome also experience changes in heart rate similar to those of a heart attack. But, when they undergo an analysis that determines which are the blocked arteries in the case of a heart attack, no blocked blood vessel is found. On the contrary, a considerable part of their heart does not work properly.

Most people heal on their own within a few weeks, but if you have heart problems, low blood pressure, heart rhythm abnormalities, it is best to talk to your doctor.

Auxiliary resources: WebMD, Healthline