Panic Attack Symptoms
When someone is suffering from a panic attack, they are feeling threatened in some way. The onset of it is sudden, and the symptoms of panic attacks tend to be pretty full on. Some panic attack sufferers have heart palpitations and may believe that they are having a heart attack or that the feelings they are experiencing will lead to a heart attack. They also can start to think that they are going to die. While people do not die from panic attacks, the symptoms are extreme and it might feel as if they are.
Panic attack symptoms can appear quite abruptly and without any real cause. Its symptoms can be numerous as it reacts to an uncontrollable fear. Symptoms can be pounding or racing heart, difficulty breathing, an upset stomach, chest pains, tingling or numbness in the hands, nausea, dizziness, lightheadedness, chills or hot flushes. Symptoms can also affect the mind by causing a dreamlike sensation, the feeling of terror, a need to escape, the fear doing something embarrassing, losing control or the fear of dieing.
One of the main symptoms of a panic disorder is the fear of having another panic attack. Most people who have had one panic attack are likely to have others in the future. The constant fear of experiencing another attack again can cause the person to avoid places and situations where they believe an attack may occur or has occurred in the past. They might even develop a phobia about being around or in these situations. Panic attacks are different from other types of anxiety attacks because they can happen so suddenly and unexpectedly. The symptoms can be disabling and can also occur without being provoked. It is important to know that the panic attacks themselves can be a symptom of an anxiety disorder. It is only said that a person has a panic disorder when there is a pattern of anxiety and avoidance. Unless a person gets effective treatment, a panic disorder can have a serious impact on an individual’s daily life. Make no mistake that panic attacks are serious health problems that up to 3 million adult Americans suffer from at some point in their lives. The peak age at which an individual might experience their first panic attack can be between the ages of 15 and 19. It is also vital to note that children can also suffer from this disorder.
A panic attack will generally last for several minutes, but can go for significantly longer, and is one of the most distressing conditions that a person can experience. Panic attacks can also take place during sleep. These are nocturnal panic attacks but they occur far less frequently than panic attacks that occur during the day. Approximately 40 percent to 70 percent of individuals who suffer from daytime panic attacks will also suffer from nighttime panic attacks. These attacks have a tendency to trigger sufferers to wake up suddenly from sleep in a state of anxiety for no apparent cause, and can include all the other symptoms of a panic attack. Although nocturnal panic attacks can last less than 10 minutes, the time that it takes to calm down after such an experience can be much longer.
While typically, individuals tend to suffer in different ways when it comes to panic attacks, the feeling of uncontrollable fear is a symptom for all individuals.
