Apparently, it is a pretty common occurrence for relationships to break down on this supposedly magical day. 

The breakdown of relationships happens as a result of people being disappointed by what their partners failed to do and for others let’s just say they were simply unlucky in love. 

Reading about the statistics on hearts that get broken on Valentine’s Day got me thinking about the relationship between love and the heart. 

How many times have you heard someone say, “I have a broken heart”? Often they don’t really have a broken heart but it can actually happen. It’s all part of living and forming relationships. 

It reminds me of a friend’s experience several years ago. When her boyfriend broke up with her, my friend was totally devastated and ‘broken hearted.’ 

She cried for days and refused to eat, telling us all how she wished she would just die. I often wondered if it was possible for a person to actually die from a broken heart. 

Recently I found out there is a scientific basis for understanding a broken heart. It is said that emotional trauma from losing a loved one can make you feel like your heart is breaking, and sometimes it really is. 

So it turns out that broken heart syndrome isn’t just a Valentine’s Day hyperbole after all.

It’s an actual medical condition which is also referred to as stress-induced cardiomyopathy or stress cardiomyopathy. 

With the broken heart syndrome, a person may have sudden chest pain or think they're having a heart attack. These symptoms may be caused by the heart's reaction to a surge of stress hormones. 

Sometimes, the person may experience irregular heartbeats or cardiogenic shock; a condition in which a suddenly weakened heart can’t pump enough blood to meet the body’s demands. 

In rare cases, broken heart syndrome can even lead to death. Interestingly, it occurs frequently in women than men but scientists are still unsure why. 

You couldn’t ask for a better example of the close link between emotional health and a healthy heart. I am happy to say that as painful as my friends experience seemed to be, she got over it and others will too. 

If you got a broken heart this Valentine, don’t despair. A broken heart will mend. Nonetheless it makes sense that if happiness and love does have a positive effect on heart function, it is an area that should not be neglected. 

Inertia is not conducive in a relationship, and if you don't work at keeping love and happiness, your relationships will retrogress or break up. In the same way, if you stop taking care of your heart, it would fail.

Taking care of your heart starts with preventive health. You may already know the physical health of your heart because you have had a medical examination.

I am sure you also know that a healthy diet and regular exercise is beneficial too. Possibly, you have also heard that drinking a glass of red wine and chocolate is good for the heart too.  

If you like chocolate like I do, then this is good news. Before you grab a bar of chocolate, note that not all forms of chocolate have the same level of health benefits. Your best option is dark chocolate as it has more health benefits than milk chocolate. The keyword here is moderation!

Love too is a vital part of a heart healthy lifestyle that doesn’t get enough attention. The heart is the organ from which our emotions come, and each emotion, whether negative or positive, causes physiological reactions that affect the heart.

When you think of a broken heart, a picture of the heart with a jagged line running through comes to mind. 

My title for this article is: “where do broken hearts go?” My answer is they go where there is more love, where they are appreciated and celebrated.

The heart of the matter is if you make the effort to build loving relationships, you will be happier and healthier.

Many Valentine’s days will come and go but life continues and hopefully, love does too. 

It is beautiful to buy someone chocolates or flowers on Valentine’s Day, but it’s even more beautiful to treat them with love and respect every other day as well. 

Healthy relationships and healthy hearts are all within reach. Let’s keep working at it!