Panic Attacks

Panic Attack--or Heart Attack?

This is actually a pretty common question because the symptoms of both are very similar. First things first though, let’s take a quick look to look at what causes a panic attack. Anxiety is common in every one; it is just a matter of how people deal with it. A panic attack is brought on by some form of trigger that has an individual feeling as though they are overwhelmed and losing control.

When one starts to have a panic attack, you will experience things like a shortness of breath, a racing heart, cold sweats, vomiting, uncontrollable shakes and just a feeling that you have no control over what is happening to you.

You can imagine how scary it is to experience this. The trigger can come from anything, however it is usually something that the individual fears or from constantly worrying about the result of something. For instance, you may have a fear of flying and getting onto an airplane will set off the panic attack.

Phobias are also very common causes of panic attacks, in that if you are put in a situation where you are exposed to a snake and you are afraid of them, you may find your body locking up and not be able to move.

Every day life affects everyone in a different manner and just the thought of not being able to pay your bills can set off a panic attack. Unfortunately, people who have never experienced panic attacks don’t fully comprehend them and end up ridiculing those that do suffer from them as they just don’t realize how traumatic going through one of these can be.

To answer the question, you really won’t know the difference because a lot of the symptoms are very common in both conditions. If you know that you suffer from panic attacks, you can feel a little more confident that you are not having a heart attack, but it is always best to play it safe and see your doctor immediately to make sure that you are not in any serious danger.