Panic Attack

Alternative Names

Panic Attacks, Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Anxiety Attacks

What is Panic Attack

Panic attacks are described as sudden feelings of terror that strike without warning. These episodes can occur at any time, even during sleep. Panic attacks can be very frightening. When panic attacks occur, you might think you're losing control, having a heart attack or even dying.

Panic attack may occur only once or twice in your lifetime. But if you have had several panic attacks and have spent long periods in constant fear of another attack, you may have a chronic condition called panic disorder. Panic attacks were once dismissed as nerves or stress, but they're now recognized as a real medical condition. Although panic attacks can significantly affect your quality of life, treatment is very effective.

Signs and symptoms

People who had panic attacks may have had the following symptoms:

• Rapid heart rate
• Feeling weak, faint, or dizzy
• Tingling or numbness in the hands and fingers
• Sense of terror, of impending doom or death
• Feeling sweaty or having chills
• Chest pains
• Breathing difficulties
• Feeling a loss of control
• Trembling
• Shortness of breath
• Hyperventilation
• Hot flashes
• Nausea
• Abdominal cramping
• Headache
• Faintness
• Tightness in your throat
• Trouble swallowing

Panic attacks are usually brief and may last less than ten minutes, although some of the symptoms may persist for a longer time. People who have had one panic attack are at greater risk for having subsequent panic attacks than those who have never experienced a panic attack.

Possible complications

Here are some common complications which panic attacks may cause:

• Agoraphobia
• Acute Stress Disorder
• Adjustment Disorder
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder
• Increased risk of Suicide or Suicidal thoughts
• Performance Anxiety
• Social Phobia
• Other Specific Phobias
• Depression
• Alcohol or Substance Abuse
• Problems at Work or School
• Marital Problems
• Relationship Problems
• Sexual Problems

What causes

The exact cause of panic disorder is not fully researched. However, many medical professional think that panic disorder is probably caused by a combination of physical and psychological factors as:

• Traumatic life experiences. Sometimes bereavement can cause feelings of panic and anxiety. These feelings may be obvious soon after the event, or they may be causes suddenly years later.
• Genetic link.If one of your family members have ever had panic disorder it is possible that you may have risks of developing the condition too. However, the precise nature of the risk is not yet known.
• Neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that occur naturally in the brain. If you have an imbalance of these chemicals, you may increase the risk of developing conditions such as panic disorder.
• Fight or flight reflex. Most scientists think that panic disorder may associate with your body's natural 'fight or flight’ reflex. The fight or flight reflex is your body's way of protecting you from stressful and dangerous situations. In people with panic disorder, this factor may be caused abnormally. In such cases, the body’s normal fight or flight response to excitement, fear or stress may be exaggerated, resulting in a panic attack.

Prevention

Panic attacks which are caused by known stimuli, the main way to prevent them is to avoid those stimuli as long as the avoidance does not get in the way of the person's ability to interact with others or otherwise function. One of the psychological therapy called behavioral therapy is an important part of treatment, and people who have panic attacks may "practice" being in their trigger situations as part of their treatment. For those who go on to be diagnosed with panic disorder or other forms of anxiety, taking the prescribed medications is the key to prevention. It is also recommended to use Behavioral therapy.

Treatment

There exist different treatments to control panic attacks, including several effective medical treatments, and specific forms of psychotherapy. Specific members of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), the selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SSNRI), and the benzodiazepine families of medications are approved for effective treatment of panic disorder. Examples of such medications include sertraline (Zoloft), paroxetine (Paxil), and citalopram (Celexa) from the SSRI group, duloxetine (Cymbalta) and venlafaxine (Effexor) from the SSNRI group, and clonazepam (Klonopin) and lorazepam (Ativan) from the benzodiazepine group. Although alprazolam (Xanax) is often used to treat panic attacks, its short duration of action can sometimes result in having to take it several times per day. Medications from the beta-blocker family (for example, propranolol [Inderal]) are sometimes used to treat the physical symptoms associated with a panic attack. Some people who suffer from severe panic attacks may benefit from treatment with gabapentin (Neurontin), which was initially found to treat seizures, or benefit from a neuroleptic medication like risperidone (Risperdal), olanzapine (Zyprexa), quetiapine (Seroquel), or aripiprazole (Abilify).