Common Symptoms of Panic Attacks

A panic attack, sometimes called a panic disorder, is an abrupt episode of extreme fear which causes severe physical responses when there’s no obvious cause or danger. Panic attacks can be incredibly frightening. However, most people only have one or even two panic attacks in their lives, and this condition usually goes away when a certain stressful situation resolves itself. When panic attacks become frequent, however, these episodes can become disabling.

The good news is that there are several risk factors which could trigger an attack, as well as several ways to prevent them from happening at all. Understanding what these risk factors are will help you avoid them, or at least make your attacks less frequent. These include genetics, brain chemistry, brain function, and brain chemistry in combination with environmental factors. Let’s take a look at each of these risk factors and how they relate to panic attacks.

Some people are genetically predisposed to having panic attacks. The exact reason isn’t yet known, but heredity may play a role in the likelihood of someone having this condition. If you have parents or grandparents who had panic attacks when they were younger, then you’re probably going to have the condition as well. In some families, one or both of a parent is likely to suffer from anxiety disorders. If you frequently feel anxious about certain situations, whether these are risky situations or not, then this is an indication that you may have an anxiety disorder. This is also the case if you regularly have feelings of guilt, shame or remorse after negative events in your life.

People who are constantly exposed to a lot of caffeine can be at risk for developing panic attacks. People who consume large amounts of caffeine after a certain amount of time are likely to have a high amount of stress as they age. If you’re regularly consuming coffee, soft drinks or energy drinks, then this could be contributing to the disorder.

When a person is undergoing a lot of stress, it increases their chances of developing panic attacks. There are many different types of stress, such as stress caused by financial problems, relationship issues or the death of a loved one. If you regularly find yourself worrying about money or your loved one’s death, then this is another indication of a panic disorder. You should take steps to decrease your level of stress in order to prevent panic attacks.

When suffering from panic attacks, some people experience a sensation of chest pain or tightness. This sensation can sometimes be accompanied by a flushed or chapped mouth. It’s important that you remember that chest pain or numbness is not a definite sign of a heart attack. Chest pain is usually caused by acid reflexes during a heart attack. The numbness you’re experiencing though can indicate other problems including strokes, brain tumors and more.

One of the symptoms many people experience when dealing with panic attacks is shortness of breath. This can lead to hyperventilation or breathing problems, which in turn can cause the symptoms listed above. Shortness of breath is common for those who have developed panic disorder. It can also occur when you’re going through extreme stress, which is why it’s so important to make sure that you practice deep breathing exercises when under stress.

Many individuals who suffer from panic attacks develop symptoms that don’t seem to be related to any particular symptom. In fact, some of these symptoms can actually be a result of other medical conditions. If you experience severe anxiety, it’s important to ensure that you seek treatment for this condition. Left untreated, anxiety can worsen and ultimately lead to a full-blown panic disorder. Your doctor will be able to run tests to determine if you do have any underlying disorders that may be causing the symptoms you’re experiencing.