Symptoms of panic attack
When a person feels intense fear or apprehension suddenly and without reason, such an episode is described as a panic attack. A person can suffer from repeated attacks. Also, when a person has suffered once, he may feel great anxiety about a repetition of the episode. Such a person is said to suffer from panic disorder.
A panic attack typically starts suddenly and reaches its peak within ten minutes. Though there is no actual physical harm done, it may take a person several hours to recover from such an episode. The symptoms are often confused with heart attack. In fact you may actually fear that you are having a heart attack or a nervous breakdown. They are much more easily detected and treated among women than in men.
When a person experiences panic attack, following symptoms are noticed.
* Palpitation or increased heart rate may reach such a level that there appears fear of heart attack
* Tremendous anxiety triggers off sweating and shaking. The tremors may be visible or internal.
* The person experiences a smothering sensation or shortness of breath
* This will be accompanied by choking.
* Pain in the chest and abdomen are other commonly occurring indications of an attack.
* The person may feel dizzy or faint.
* The muscles of the shoulders and the neck are aching. This restricts the blood flow to the brain often leading to headaches and migraines.
* There occurs a sense of de-realisation and depersonalisation. The person may separate from his body or a sense of unreality.
* The attacks are generally accompanied by numbness. Pins and needles on the limbs are common.
* Chills and/or hot flashes are common during panic attacks.
* The skin often loses colours. Blotchiness appears.
* In some cases the person may feel an urgent need to urinate or defecate.
* The very real fear of impending death or going insane or other characteristics of these episodes.
Panic attacks themselves may be symptoms of other diseases like post traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia or withdrawal from drug abuse.
Panic attacks generally occur during daytime. In some cases they may occur during sleeping. These are known as nocturnal panic attacks. These are accompanied by greater respiratory stress and are often symptoms of depression.
Men are thought to be more prone to heart attacks. Since the symptoms of a panic attack are very similar to those of a heart attack they often go undetected in men. On the other hand women are perceived to be more vulnerable to such emotional disorders. The result is that while the attacks may occur equally among men and women, research shows that women are twice as likely to be treated as men. Women suffering from this complaint also take active steps to avoid anxiety causing situations.
The symptoms panic attacks set in during the early adulthood. Children who are extremely shy or afraid of common activities like going to school or riding elevators are more likely to develop these symptoms later in life. Though panic attacks cause no actual physical harm, however a person suffering from the repeated anxiety and the accompanied symptoms may well become severely ill after several episodes. So attacks should not be ignored but rather should be treated as soon as possible.
Learn some effective tips to prevent these attacks and understand the causes along with symptoms. Find out more about the various symptoms of panic attack today, visit http://www.panicattackpedia.com/symptoms-panic-attack.html.
