Panic Attack, symptoms of panic attack, causes of panic attack & types of panic attack
Panic attack occurs because of the trigger. Whenever there is a threat or perception of threat panic attack occurs.
Panic attack is extreme form of anxiety. There in an ‘Impending doom’ means patient feels that something terrible is going to happen with him.
Either he may stop breathing, his heart may stop or even he may die. As such nothing is going to happen but patient has terrible feeling.
The symptoms of panic attack
- Palpitation, Pounding heart or accelerated heart rate.
- Sweating
- Trembling or shaking
- Heaviness in the chest
- Feeling of chocking
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain
- Going crazy
- Butterfly in abdomen
- Nausea
- Dizziness
- Unsteadiness
- Light-headedness or fainting
- Chills or heat sensations
- Depersonalization
- Derealisation
- Fear of dying
Because of these symptoms patient rushes to medical emergency where he is tested and found physically normal, hence reassured and sent home by doctor.
After going home patient develops doubt that he has some heart problem and doctor has missed something and he visits another cardiologist, so he is further investigated for stress test, Echo, Halter, Monitoring, CT-scan, MRI etc.
As results of these tests are normal once again he is reassured and sent back to his home.
Panic attacks can occur because of the physiological reasons as for example, Exams, Interview, talking to opposite sex, public speaking, talking to boss, death of near one, fear of illness or facing any stressful situation.
Secondary to medical Illness like heart disease, Mitral valve prolapse, anaemia, Hypothyroidism, pheochromocytoma, low blood sugar, asthma, Complex partial seizure.
Medicines like medication induced atropine, adrenaline, and Medication withdrawals: benzodiazepines withdrawal.
Psychiatric conditions like anxiety, phobia, depression, hypochondriasis, personality disorders, schizophrenia, And Primary Panic Disorder.
Panic attack occurs because of hyper activity of hypothelemo pituitary adrenal axis, Thereat of perception of threat
Will discuss about panic disorder in the next Article.