5. Your digestive system slows down.
Again, your hormones are to blame: “Cortisol shooting into your system during your break up diverts blood away from your digestive track, leaving you with GI [gastrointestinal] unpleasantness,” explains MSNBC’s Jennifer Nelson. And according to a 1994 study, stress can even affect the distribution of fat, since cortisol promotes the settling of fat particularly in your abdominal region.
6. Your immune system gets weak.
When going through a traumatic breakup, your immune system will take a nosedive. “Stress almost immediately affects your immune system — you get colds and the flu,” explains Hall. She adds that autoimmune diseases, in which the body turns against itself, can possibly occur after a divorce or breakup of a longtime relationship, and your immune functioning can be compromised.
The American Psychological Association adds that depression caused by a breakup, induced social isolation, and feelings of loneliness can all contribute to a weakened immune system. The Huffington Post also points out that there is an extensive body of research that shows just how much our emotional well-being can impact our immune systems.
7. Your heart grows larger than its normal size.
When you are going through a breakup, your heart actually enlarges temporarily in a condition identified by The American Heart Association as broken heart syndrome, which can lead to real cardiovascular consequences.
Signs of broken heart syndrome include chest pain and an irregular heartbeat, and it is sometimes misdiagnosed as a heart attack.
The good news is, it usually clears up within a few weeks, but the bad news is, it can lead to short-term heart muscle failure.