What Are The Symptoms Of A Panic Attack?
It is quite easy to list down the symptoms of a panic attack, which are commonly as follows:
1. Shortness of breath, sometimes with the feeling of being smothered or hyperventilating – This is one of the more common symptoms of a panic attack, and is also one of the first symptoms that can manifest itself in a manner that will be seen by other people.
2. The mind seems like it is "racing" – The person experiencing the panic attack finds it hard to focus or create a coherent thought
3. Stomach cramps or general discomfort and nausea – Alternating between these symptoms are also quite common, as well as the “hardening” of the abdominal area like it is being flexed.
4. Heartbeat is increased, or is erratic. A common description is that a person could hear their heart “pounding” from inside their ears.
5. More than a few people have reported to have had chest pains, which is why there are people brought in to hospitals fearing a heart attack and would turn out to be a panic attack.
6. The body trembles or shakes uncontrollably, regardless of the weather condition. Sometimes there are also sweaty palms or feeling that they are cold and clammy, which is another symptom similar to a person having a heart attack.
7. Feeling that everything is unreal, or sometimes one feels detached from himself. It is like seeing yourself or the situation from outside.
8. People undergoing an attack feel like they are either dying, or going crazy. This is due to the subconscious saying that there is something wrong, but may be misinterpreted by the conscious side of the brain.
9. The body feels numb, or at the very least some parts of it like the face, or the hands. Some people feel a "tingling" sensation or the "pins and needles" along their extremities.
10. Some people feel that an invisible force immobilizes them. This is also called the "deer caught in the headlights" syndrome.
A panic attack can last for 15 seconds or several minutes, and it really is quite hard to distinguish from a heart attack without professional medical diagnosis and testing. It is therefore better to ask for medical help when these symptoms occur.
Also, even while a panic attack is not a cardiac problem, it does not mean that it will not need serious attention, and a doctor is the best person to seek advice from.
