Panic Attack Symptoms and Causes

Identifying Panic Attack Symptoms and Causes

If you've ever had a panic attack before, you may be all too familiar with the symptoms. Sweating, trembling, a racing heart and shortness of breath are just a few of the physical signs that you might experience. Other symptoms might include dizziness, abdominal pain, hot flashes and chest pain. You might feel a tightness in your throat and have trouble swallowing. In addition to the physical signs, you may feel a sense of doom or foreboding; even like you are going to die. Of course, most people do not die from panic attack symptoms or causes, but the episodes can be uncomfortable enough to greatly affect the quality of your life. If your panic attacks are coming fast and frequent, it may be time to try to identify panic attack symptoms and causes that will help you get those disruptive episodes under control.

What to Look For
Panic attack symptoms and causes can look different to everyone, but there are a few basic signs that are fairly universal. First, think about how your body responds to a particularly stressful event. Your palms start to sweat, your body starts to tremble and your heart begins to pound. If the episode continues, you might experience difficulty breathing, nausea, dizziness and hot flashes. This flight or fight response that affects everyone in an extremely stressful or dangerous situation is the same type of response that people will experience with panic attack symptoms and causes. The difference is that these episodes can occur without warning; even striking when you are at rest or asleep.

The other factor in examining panic attack symptoms and causes is to determine why they occur in the first place. There are many reasons why panic attack symptoms and causes might occur; some you can control and others you most definitely cannot. If you have recently experienced a life changing event like graduating from school or getting married, the change to your lifestyle can trigger an anxiety panic disorder. Likewise, stressful events like the loss of a job or spouse can also be the catalyst that causes these episodes to occur. For some, identifying the panic attack symptoms and causes can be a comfort in itself, because it reassures you that there is a good reason why these episodes might be occurring and hope that perhaps they will go away once the situation resolves itself.

If you are unable to pinpoint your panic attack symptoms and causes, it may be because the reason is biological in nature. It may be that panic attacks simply run in your family, or they may be due to a malfunction within your brain. If this is the case, a trip to your doctor to determine the panic attack symptoms and causes may be helpful in finding an effective treatment plan for you. If panic attacks are getting in the way of your life, contact your doctor today.