The symptoms of a panic attack appear suddenly, without any apparent cause.
They may include:
- Racing or pounding heartbeat or palpitations
- Sweats
- Chest pains
- Dizziness, lightheadedness, nausea
- Difficulty breathing (dyspnea)
- Tingling or numbness in the hands, face, feet or mouth
- Flushes to the face and chest or chills
- Dreamlike sensations or perceptual distortions (derealization)
- Dissociation, the perception that one is not connected to the body or even disconnected from space and time (depersonalization)
- Terror, a sense that something unimaginably horrible is about to occur and one is powerless to prevent it
- Fear of losing control and doing something embarrassing or of going crazy
- Fear of dying
- Feeling of impending doom
- Trembling or “shivering”
- Crying
A panic attack typically lasts for several minutes and is one of the most distressing conditions that a person can experience in everyday life.
The various symptoms of a panic attack can be understood as follows. First comes the sudden onset of fear with little or no provoking stimulus. This then leads to a release of adrenaline (epinephrine) which cause the so-called fight-or-flight response where the person’s body prepares for major physical activity. This leads to an increased heart rate (tachycardia), rapid breathing (hyperventilation), and sweating (which increases grip and aids heat loss). Because strenuous activity rarely ensues, the hyperventilation leads to carbon dioxide levels lowering in the lungs and then the blood. This leads to shifts in the pH of the blood which then leads to many of the other symptoms such as tingling or numbness, dizziness, and lightheadedness.
Anyone who hyperventilates for a while can demonstrate this. For the person with a panic attack who does not know this, these symptoms are often seen as further evidence of how serious the condition is. An ensuing vicious cycle of adrenaline release fuels worsening physical symptoms and psychological distress.
Lisa Angelettie, M.S.W., is a psychotherapist, author, and life coach. She has been helping people make smarter life choices since 1998. Get more free tips like this when you subscribe to the GirlShrink newsletter .
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