Causes and Symptoms of Panic Attacks
Understanding panic attacks helps you help yourself and others.
A panic attack is a serious condition that strikes many with a lack of reason or warning. It is can occur from a variety of anxiety disorders, but is often caused by an overwhelming level of stress.
Causes of Panic Attacks
Causes of panic attacks are not always easily determined but may be attributed to several things. Stress from everyday life, fears of parents divorcing, or fear of a loved one dying can bring them on. Such a condition can run in families too. The likelihood of getting them may be inherited from one parent or both. One who has a history of alcoholism or drug abuse can develop panic attacks. Abnormalities in various parts of the brain may cause them as well.
Symptoms and Effects of Panic Attacks
Physical symptoms of panic attacks occur when one’s heart beats irregularly fast or skips beats. Other symptoms include severe chest pain, lightheadedness, dizziness, nausea, indigestion, choking, difficulty breathing, trembling, hot flashes, sweating, chills, and tingling in the hands or the feet. Most attacks reach their peak in 10 minutes, but usually last as long as 20 to 30 minutes. Panic attacks are often so intense, victims think they’re having a heart attack. Some are often admitted to hospital emergency rooms because they believe they’re facing a life-threatening medical condition when they really aren’t.
Panic attacks are not very dangerous, but they make their victims feel extremely frightened or out of control. Most who’ve had them fear of having another later. They will even go as far as avoiding places where they’ve had them before. For example, if a woman had one in an elevator, she may develop a fear of elevators and possibly go as far as turning down jobs or apartments in tall buildings. She may even rule out medical treatment from health clinics that require elevators to get to them.
A myriad of psychological effects can be brought on from panic attacks. Usually, a person is struck by uncontrollable fear or terror. Some fear they may lose control of themselves or do something embarrassing in public. Others are likely to fear something extremely catastrophic will happen and there is nothing they can do about it. Many who suffer panic attacks have fears of dying. They may lead to further complications as phobias, medical problems, substance abuse, depression, or even suicide.
Agoraphobia and Behavior
Agoraphobia is another condition associated with panic attacks. The term used to apply only to a few of public places or open spaces. It now means a condition that develops due to panic attacks. Some may fear going certain places because they’re afraid of having panic attack and not being able to obtain help.
Other types of behaviors are associated with those who’ve had panic attacks in the past. Some sufferers may fear driving or going very far away from home, especially without a person they consider as “safe”. Many will avoid public places such as restaurants or social gatherings because they fear if another attack should come on, it would be difficult to escape. Certain drinks (especially alcoholic beverages or those containing caffeine) as well as foods believed to attribute to past attacks will also be avoided.
Who usually suffers from panic attacks? Mostly younger people, those 15 to 19 years of age. According to the WebMD.com website, about 2.4 million Americans suffer from panic attacks. Women are twice as prone to getting them as opposed to men.
Those who’ve experienced panic attacks should see their family physician to confirm they don’t have other medical problems. One may not be having an attack, but may have a heart condition termed as mitral valve prolapse, a heart valve not closing properly. This results in cardiovascular difficulties. Other common culprits with similar symptoms may be hyperthyroidism, hypoglycemia, using stimulants (for example amphetamines, cocaine, or caffeine), or may be because they’re coming off of a medication. If none of these apply, then the sufferer should seek out psychiatric help where they can receive proper medications.
Sources:
AnxietyPanic.Com, ".....when you need to know", www.anxietypanic.com
HelpGuide.Org, "Understand, prevent, and resolve life's challenges", helpguide.org/mental/panic_disorder_anxiety_attack_symptom_treatment.htm
MedicineNet.com www.medicinenet.com/panic_disorder/article.htm
Panic attacs can be treated.
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