Panic Attacks

A panic attack is a sudden surge of overwhelming fear that comes without warning and without any obvious reason. It is far more intense than the feeling of being 'stressed out' that most people experience. Symptoms of a panic attack include:

• Rapid Heart Rate
• Sweating
• Trembling
• Shortness of Breath
• Hyperventilation
• Chills
• Hot Flashes
• Nausea
• Abdominal Cramping
• Chest Pain
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Trouble Swallowing
• A sense of impending death

You may have a few or many of these panic attack symptoms.

Panic attacks typically begin suddenly, without warning. Panic attack symptoms usually peak within 10 minutes and last about half an hour. They may have variations. They may last hours or, on rare occasions up to a day. You may feel fatigued and worn out after a panic attack subsides. One of the worst things about panic attacks is the intense fear that you'll have another panic attack.

Panic Attacks can greatly interfere with your like - and perhaps even endanger you or others. Panic attacks strike at almost any time without warning.

Are panic attacks serious?
Yes, panic attacks are real, potentially quite emotionally disabling, but they can be controlled with specific treatments. Up to 25 percent of people who visit emergency rooms because of chest pain are actually experiencing panic.

What causes panic attacks?
According to one theory of panic disorder, the body's normal "alarm system", the set of mental and physical mechanisms that allows a person to respond to a threat, tends to be triggered unnecessarily, when there is no danger. Panic disorder has been found to run in families.

What is the treatment for panic attacks?
Thanks to research there are a variety of treatments available including several medications and specific forms of psychotherapy.

Knowledge Network Phone Bank

On Mon. May 12, call our Knowledge Network phone bank between 5-6:30 p.m. and talk to our experts from Austin Lakes Hospital about panic attacks.