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Signs, Symptoms
and Causes of Panic Attacks
You are in "Understanding" |
Natural
Anti-Anxiety Supplement
The
purpose of this material is to explain Panic Anxiety Disorder. It may help you to
decide if you are having panic attacks. If there is reason to suspect Panic Anxiety Disorder,
the article suggests a reasonable approach to take so that a proper diagnosis
can be made and, if necessary, treatment begun. This is intended for
educational information only. Treatment for appendicitis is not a 'do it
yourself' project. Neither is treatment for Panic Anxiety Disorder. If you believe, after reading
this, that you might have Panic Anxiety Disorder, you should see your physician who can either
diagnose and treat you, or refer you to a specialist.
A Case History
Ann was watching television
after a typical workday. She suddenly developed a peculiar and very strong
feeling of being lightheaded and a smothering sensation as if there were no
oxygen in the air she was breathing. Then a surge of pounding rapid heartbeat
began. It came on so quickly and was so severe that she became panicked that
she might be dying of a heart attack! Then she felt very shaky, sweaty, and
unsteady. This whole experience reached peak intensity within 60 seconds. This
was the eighth such attack this month.
PANIC
"Panic" was hardly the word
to describe how terrified she was feeling. It went beyond any feeling of fear
that she had ever experienced. Although she had gone to the emergency room
several times, nothing seemed to be found by the doctors to explain why she
kept having the attacks.
She frantically searched for
her car keys so that she could get to the hospital immediately. She thought
desperately, "What's wrong with me?"
What a panic attack feels like.
The main symptom of a Panic
Anxiety Disorder is the panic attack itself. Panic Anxiety Disorder is a medical disorder
characterized by severe and sudden episodes.
It is important to mention
that sudden episodes of the symptoms listed above caused by another reasonable
cause are not panic attacks. Two such reasonable causes would be (1) a certain
medical ailment that might mimic a panic attack, or (2) a life threatening
experience immediately preceding the attack. If these reasonable causes are
found not be the cause of the problem then there is the possibility of a Panic
Disorder.
Panic attacks reach maximum
intensity within a minute or two once they begin. They diminish slowly over the
next 30 minutes or the next several hours. It is common for the first attack to
cause a person to go to an emergency medical facility. Subsequent attacks occur
several times a month and are often as severe as the initial attack.
About three fourths of Panic
Disorder patients are women. Panic Anxiety Disorder begins most often when people are
20-30 years old. It begins less often in teenagers or persons in their forties.
It is uncommon for the disorder to appear in the elderly for the first time.
It is important to note that
although a few experts say it is more common in persons who experienced a
separation experience as a child, many of experts feel that Panic Anxiety Disorder
afflicts emotionally healthy people. Persons having Panic attacks are no more
likely than the average American to have suffered from emotional problems at
the time the disorder begins.
Symptoms of a Panic Attack
- raging heartbeat
- difficulty breathing, feeling as though you 'can't get enough air
- terror that is almost paralyzing
- nervous, shaking, stress
- heart
palpitation, feeling of dread
-
dizziness, lightheadedness or nausea
- trembling, sweating, shaking
- choking, chest pains, distress
- fear, fright, afraid, anxious
- hot
flashes, or sudden chills
- tingling in fingers or toes ('pins and needles')
- fearful that you're going to go crazy or are about to die
STOP Anxiety and Panic
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DISCLAIMER - PLEASE READ:
This web site provides general
information:
Do not use the information on these
pages as a substitute for evaluation and treatment by a Professional Health Care
Provider.
Please
click here for the
full disclaimer. Please do not ask for a
DIAGNOSIS or information
regarding MEDICATION.
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The mission of
AnxietyPanic.com is to educate patients, families, caregivers and the community about
anxiety and panic disorders in order to relieve suffering, instill hope, and improve lives.
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