Parents suffer heart attacks and strokes while teaching their children

In early 2024, Dong, 40, from Hangzhou province, lost her temper when her son did not understand the lesson despite repeated explanations. After her outburst, the mother of two felt a severe headache and vomited. After resting for a few hours but her condition did not improve, her family took her to the hospital.

Through a CT scan, the doctor diagnosed Dong with spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage, a mild stroke possibly caused by prolonged stress.

Having a heart attack or stroke while teaching children is something few people think of, but this condition is becoming more and more common in Chinese society.

In 2019, a 36-year-old woman was hospitalized after her son failed to solve a math problem. That same year, a 45-year-old father in Shenzhen suffered a heart attack while helping his son with his homework. Since then, cases of parents being hospitalized after helping their children with homework, especially math, have become common.

On January 13, Ms. Wang, 37 years old, in Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, suddenly felt uncomfortable while teaching math to her fourth-grade son. Trying to suppress her anger when her son did not understand the lesson only made the woman, who has a history of high blood pressure, feel mild chest pain and have difficulty breathing.

Wang asked her 11-year-old son to help her younger brother with his homework while she lay down on the couch. But seeing her youngest son still doing the wrong thing, she became even angrier and tried to stand up. "Immediately, I felt a sharp pain in my chest, started sweating, had difficulty breathing and fell to the ground," she said. Her children then called their father for help.

At Lianyungang No. 1 People's Hospital, the 37-year-old woman was diagnosed with type A aortic dissection, requiring urgent surgery. Doctors found a long hole in the posterior wall of the aorta and a large amount of blood clots.

After 7 hours of surgery, doctors were able to repair the tear. The woman's health is gradually stabilizing.

Medical experts explain that women are more likely to have heart attacks and strokes because they are often stressed and anxious about work and family. Therefore, teaching children to study is just one of the factors that cause additional stress.