Symptoms of a Panic Attack

Millions of people suffer from panic attacks. Panic attacks are far more common than you may think. If you feel you may have had panic attacks yourself but are not really sure, read this post to see if any of these symptoms sound familiar.

Now, keep in mind that you may not experience all of these symptoms. People react differently to situations in a variety of ways. The most common symptoms of a panic attack are as follows:

• Tightness in the chest
• Racing or rapid heart rate
• Shortness of breath
• Hyperventilating
• Flushed feeling
• Excessive sweating or clamminess
• Nausea and dizziness
• Muscle tension
• Fear of impending doom and terror

Panic attacks may be caused by any of the following:

• Momentary of long-term stress
• Hormonal or chemical imbalance
• Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Excessive sugar or caffeine in your body

For most people experiencing their first panic attack, they feel like they’re having a heart attack or are dying. They’re rushed to the hospital only to find that their heart is fine and the doctors can’t find anything physically wrong with them.

If you don’t recognize or discuss the idea of panic attacks, you may leave feeling that something is wrong with you and you begin to visit different medical doctors trying to determine the cause.

Panic attacks occur when our natural “fight or flight” reaction goes into overdrive, releasing excessive amounts of adrenaline. Your body believes that it is about to be attacked and brings forth all the responses that would go along with a seriously dangerous situation. However, the event at hand does not warrant this type of behavior.

Yes, you know your fear is way out of proportion but you are unable to stop it. You can say to yourself, “This is silly, I’m just going to continue driving for another 5 miles as I’ve done many times in the past” but your body reacts differently.

Even scarier is realizing that these attacks can happen at any time. Some people wake up in the middle of the night with them or have them occur when doing something as benign as watching TV.

Probably the worst part is the constant worrying and the fear of expecting another panic attack. In fact, the worry can be enough to trigger a panic attack.

It seems each episode is burned into your brain and you feel if you’re in the same situation or location, you will surely have another attack. Because of this, you start avoiding these situations or locations. But avoidance behavior is not the answer.

If these symptoms seem true for you, seek help and get answers to your questions. You don’t have to continue to suffer from panic attacks; there are many treatment options available.

Related posts:

1. Panic Attack Symptoms that are Easily Mistaken
2. Stress Can Throw You Off Your Diet Plan
3. Can Stress Cause Anxiety or Panic Attacks?
4. The Symptoms of GERD/Acid Reflux