“They died of a broken heart” has often been said in literature – almost as a throwaway line, but research by Birmingham University has shown that grieving can actually lead to death – as it weakens the body’s immunity.
The researchers studied the immune systems of just under 50 adults (over 65) – half of whom had suffered a bereavement in the previous year. They discovered that – in those who had suffered a recent bereavement – the neutrophils (a type of white blood cell) which help to protect us against bacterial infections, – had been ‘interfered with’ – leading to decreased protection against fatal infections.
Lead researcher Professor Janet Lord said; “There are a lot of anecdotes about couples who were married for 40 years when one of them passes away and then the other dies a few days later. It seems there is a biological basis for this. Rather than dying of a broken heart, however, they are dying of a broken immune system. They usually get infections”.
Homeopathically, we recognise that health must be on all levels – physical, mental, emotional and spiritual – and that an upset on one level has an impact on all others. So a big event like a grief is often the precurser to physical and mental symptoms. Homeopathy addresses health from a viewpoint of holism, looking at all factors in someone’s life, rather than just the presenting symptoms.