What Is a Panic Attack?

If you have never experienced the terror of the panic attack, then you might find yourself wondering what is a panic attack? People who suffer from this debilitating condition report that it is a sudden onset of a feeling of doom and fear. In fact people who suffer from panic attacks often think that they are about to die while others around them wonder what is going on.

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Sometimes, a panic attack can make you feel like you’re going crazy or you’re about to have a heart attack. People who suffer from this condition often report feeling faint, nauseous, out of breath and shaky. Sometimes their heart will race and pound as well. They fear losing control of themselves and suddenly have a strong need to flee the situation. This is likely due to the body’s fight or flight response. The need to escape the situation what is causing the panic is an innate part of our DNA.

Normally, panic attacks come on very suddenly and may have no specific trigger. Because of the fight or flight response, the body is flooded with hormones such as adrenaline. Adrenaline is a part of the fight or flight response, therefore its effects on the body are enormous.

Because a panic attack is a response from the sympathetic nervous system, there are many symptoms including hot flashes, burning sensations, sweating, light headedness, tingling sensations, shortness of breath and heart palpitations. Because these other symptoms frighten the panic attack sufferer, it exacerbates the problem. It increases the anxiety and causes the panic to spiral out of control. In fact, the person may become almost agoraphobic as they become frightened to leave the house and go to particular places where they have had a panic attack before.

Some of the symptoms of a panic attack can mimic those of the heart attack. Often, the person will experience shortness of breath or chest pain which makes them run to the emergency room seeking assistance.

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There can be many causes of panic attacks. One cause that is easy to remedy this too much caffeine in the diet. Many people live off of caffeinated drinks throughout the day, but what they don’t realize is that caffeine stimulates the nervous system. In a person who already has an anxious personality, caffeine is definitely the enemy and can worsen the problem of panic and anxiety. By removing caffeine from the diet, people often find that their panic attacks lessen or even go away.

There could also be hormonal triggers for panic attacks, especially in women. As a woman’s hormones fluctuate throughout the month, this can cause panic and anxiety issues. As women head into the menopausal years, hormones can be so out of whack that it creates a panic disorder. Having too much sugar in the diet is another cause for panic attacks that can be remedied easily. Blood sugar fluctuations can mimic the same symptoms of a panic attack. So, what is a panic attack? It is something that you never want to experience.