Why does heart hurt when sad

When the vagus nerve is overstimulated, it can cause pain and nausea. Heartache is not the only way emotional and physical pain intersect in our brain. Reent studies show that even experiencing emotional pain on behalf of another person—that is, empathy—can influence our pain perception.

And this empathy effect is not restricted to humans. In a paper published in Science revealed that when a mouse observes its cage mate in agony, its sensitivity to physical pain increases.

And when it comes into close contact with a friendly, unharmed mouse, its sensitivity to pain diminishes. Coan implicated several brain regions involved in both anticipating pain and regulating negative emotions, including the right anterior insula which helps to regulate motor control and cognitive functioning , the superior frontal gyrus which is involved in self-awareness and sensory processing and the hypothalamus which links the nervous system to the endocrine system.

You are here: Home News and events The science behind a broken heart. The science behind a broken heart Tuesday 1 August While it will be different for every person and every circumstance, there are some scientifically sound methods of heartbreak healing you can try.

Why does it hurt so much? A medically broken heart Ever wondered if emotional heartbreak can actually, physically break your heart? How to heal heartbreak While it will be different for every person and every circumstance, there are some scientifically sound methods of heartbreak healing you can try.

But although it feels absolutely horrible, it can actually be good for us to feel sad occasionally. So even though sadness can literally hurt sometimes, it's important to let yourself feel it — because whether it's due to the loss of a loved one, the end of a close relationship, an unexpected but major life change or something smaller, sadness is a necessary part of life that often precedes personal growth.

That said, sadness can have negative physical side effects , too, which range from disturbances in your sleeping patterns to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Additionally, while sadness and depression are not the same thing , both sadness and depression have many of the same physical side effects — so ignoring extended periods of sadness can actually be quite detrimental to your health.

If you've been feeling sad a lot lately, know that it's perfectly OK to not be happy all of the time — but also make a point of being aware of what your body goes through when you're sad. This can help motivate you to develop healthier ways to cope with sadness, and it may even help you find your way back to a good mood.

However, if your coping mechanisms fail you and your sadness lingers for weeks, consider talking to your doctor about it before your emotional health disrupts your relationships and your life. But on the flip side, for others, depression can actually cause them to sleep excessively. Losing weight is quite common, as people simply lose interest in food.

But for some people, they experience weight gain which is thought to be because they may not be as active, or they use food as a response to the emotional stress and sadness. If you or someone you know are concerned about any symptoms of depression or mental illness, talk to a GP or medical professional. If you need to talk to someone about mental illness or a crisis in your life, please consider calling Lifeline on 13 11 14, or for advice and support contact beyondblue on 22 or the Kids Helpline on 55 Previous Back.