Panic attacks are a symptom commonly caused by anxiety disorders. They are characterised by a sudden attack and often unexpected bout of intense terror and fear that causes confusion, sweating, shaking and difficulty breathing. They can occur abruptly and spontaneously, although the likelihood of a panic attack can be influenced by things including stress, lack of sleep, fear, frightening experiences, drugs and alcohol. Like other anxiety disorders, panic disorder can have a serious impact on a person’s life unless they receive the right treatment.

Panic attacks are not directly life threatening but they can be very serious and are indeed a very frightening experience. A panic attack causes a person to believe that they are suffering from a sudden life threatening attack. The changes in the normal bodies function grouped with an increased state of alert causes them to loose control and begin to uncontrollably panic. This panic is accompanied by the very real physical symptoms they may experience.

Panic attacks are such a frightening experience that the sufferer may begin to fear the prospect of a future attack occurring. They will make changes in their behaviour and patterns by avoiding places where they believe the likelihood of a potential panic attack is high. Some also develop phobias linked to the place of attack or the situation or task they were doing when the attack took place. For some, it is in fact the fear of an impending panic attack that can trigger and induce the panic attack itself.

Who suffers from panic attacks?

Panic attacks are a very common health problem. Over 20% of adult Americans will suffer from a panic attack at some point in their lives. Up to approximately 2% of Americans will suffer from a panic disorder with the average age of their first panic attack occurring between 15 and 20 years old.

Panic Attack Symptoms/Signs

Panic attacks can occur suddenly and unexpectedly. They can also occur following a more gradual onset of fear leading to an increased state of panic. They are generally brief lasting less than ten minutes.
During a panic attack the brain sends signals which effect the functioning of the whole body. This affects the heart, lungs, stomach, muscles, skin, several major organs and glands and the functioning of the eyes.

The following are some of the physical symptoms of a panic attack:

• Greatly increased heart rate/palpitations
• Breathing difficulties
• Shaking and trembling
• Sweating, hot flashes or experiencing chills
• Numbness in the hands and fingers
• Chest pains
• Feeling faint and dizzy
• Feeling weak and light headed
• Upset stomach

The following are some of the emotional effects and signs of a panic attack:

• Overwhelming feelings of anxiousness
• A complete loss of control
• A great sense of terror
• The belief that one is dying or experiencing a life threatening attack
• A need to escape
• Fear of creating attention and doing something embarrassing
• Feeling in a dream like state

The symptoms of a panic attack often closely mimic that of a heart attack and because of this, they often believe that they are experiencing a heart attack.

Panic Attack Causes

A person who has previously experienced a panic attack is at a greater risk of having subsequent episodes and repeated panic attacks. They may develop severe anxiety about having another attack due to the extremity of a previous episode. This can trigger an increasing state of panic which can lead to a subsequent panic attack.

Those who suffer from existing anxiety disorders, phobias or mental health issues such as social anxiety disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder or schizophrenia are much more likely to experience panic attacks. When panic attacks occur frequently a person is considered to be suffering from a Panic Disorder.

There are many factors which can influence, increase the likelihood and cause panic attacks, these include:

• Severe anxiety about a potential impending panic attack
• Withdrawal from drugs
• Intoxication or hangover
• Lack of sleep
• Prolonged stress
• Thyroid abnormalities
• Anaemia
• Anti-malarial medications
• Food additives including aspartame (needs citation)

Treat Panic Attacks

There are a variety of treatments available to help control and prevent panic attacks and treat panic disorder. These include specific forms of therapy, counselling and self help techniques. There are also several effective medications that can be used, which are often taken to alleviate and relieve the symptoms of anxiety.

Life style changes
People who suffer from panic attacks or panic disorder can also adopt a number of lifestyle changes to decrease levels of anxiety, such lifestyle changes may include:

• Regular Exercise; during and after exercise the brain releases hormones which make you feel happy and much more confident with yourself. This greatly helps decrease your anxiety.
• Avoid alcohol, caffeine and illicit drugs; can all make matters worse
• Stress less; give yourself a break and try to learn how to relax.

Panic Attack treatment programs
Anxiety and panic attack treatment programs can teach you how to control and influence the negative perceptions and thought cycles that induce the symptoms and behavioural characteristics caused by anxiety.

For more details about treating panic attacks and anxiety disorders please see our anxiety treatment pages.

What happens if panic attacks are left untreated?

Many people who suffer from anxiety disorders and panic attacks do not seek the treatment they need. Unfortunately, left untreated panic attacks can persist and lead to other phobias and complications including depression, agoraphobia (fear of leaving home), alcohol and drugs abuse, suicidal thoughts and other forms of anxiety including social anxiety disorder. Those who suffer from repeated panic attacks are also more likely to develop heart disease later on in life.

For more details about treatments for anxiety and treatments for panic attacks see our anxiety treatments pages.