The Types, Causes And Treatment Of Panic Symptoms And Panic Attacks
Many patients who get regular panic attacks will tell you that a panic attack is far worse than a heart attack. The fact that these attacks often closely resemble a heart attack, makes the experience even worse. Let’s discuss the causes and nature of panic symptoms and attacks in brief.
As we mentioned in the previous paragraph, a heart attack and a panic attack very often feels very much the same. Not only will your pulse rate increase dramatically, but you could also experience heart palpitations. Chest pains and difficulty in breathing are not uncommon sensations. Very often sufferers will also experience a feeling of numbness in their legs, arms and scalp. Hot flushes and muscle pains also regularly occur.
Many experience increased sweating during a panic attack. Another symptom that is quite common, is that the person will feel an intense weakness in his legs and arms. Very often patients get the feeling that they are dying or going crazy. Feelings of nausea and dizziness are also not unusual.
Panic attacks very often go hand in hand with depression. The sufferer will experience feelings of deep despair and thoughts of death can be quite prevalent. Suicide thoughts are also very common.
There are many potential causes of anxiety attacks. The fact of the matter is that a large percentage of these attacks can never be traced back to a particular cause. Sometimes it is possible to put your finger on a cause, such as the patient taking in too much sugar or other stimulants, or drinking to too much coffee. Hormonal changes caused by menopause or PMDD also often result in panic attacks.
A particular situation can often trigger a panic attack. People who suffer from claustrophobia will therefore get an attack if they end up in a confined space. Others who suffer from agoraphobia can’t stand it to be in a wide open space. Some people suffer from what is called general anxiety disorder: they can get an attack when exposed to a multitude of different circumstances.
Medications to alleviate this type of attack include certain anti-depressants and also beta blockers, tranquilizers and the so-called benzodiazepines. Many people experience a pre-panic attack while anticipating the symptoms of their next panic attack, which of course only worsens their situation. Some medications are specifically aimed at alleviating these anticipatory anxiety symptoms. Others work on the anxiety attack itself.
When you start to feel these panic symptoms and you realize an attack is just around the corner, sit down and take a couple of deep breaths. Remind yourself that what you’re going through right now is not based on fact. Your body’s alarm system has gone haywire, just like a faulty alarm of a car in a car park with nobody nearby. The attack also won’t kill you, or in any way physically harm you.
Looking for more information on the nature as well as the causes of panic symptoms? Get it now in our panic attack symptoms overview.
