Stressful Symptoms Of A Panic Attack

Anxiety is a common symptom in the modern world and condition that we all suffer with from time to time, but some people are unfortunate enough to suffer acute episodes of severe anxiety and these take the form of panic attacks. In medical terms a panic attack is defined as a sudden release of intense fear that sweeps over you for no apparent reason and this fear triggers severe physical symptoms. It is the physical symptoms that cause the problems. If you have recurrent and frequent attacks you may be suffering from anxiety disorder.

Until relatively recently these acute anxiety attacks have usually been dismissed by the medical profession as just nerves or a sign of stress and it wasn’t until 1980 that the American Psychiatric Association even recognized any type of anxiety problem as a legitimate medical disorder. Since that time sufficient research has been undertaken to show that at times these acute attacks and related anxiety disorders may lead to severe disabilities.

If you are one of the unfortunate people who suffers from panic attacks, then you will be familiar with the following symptoms:

Racing heart and palpitations which can be quite scary in itself
A sense of impending death or doom
Excessive sweating
Shortness of breath
Tightness in your throat
Hyperventilation
Feeling faint or light headed
Dizziness
Hot flashes
Nausea
Pounding headache
Chest pain
Abdominal cramping.

All of the above symptoms could have various causes but if you experience one or more of these together with a sense of panic when you are not physically being threatened, then it is probably a panic attack. It may be less life threatening than, say, a heart attack, but at the time you may feel that you are going to die anyway.

Suffering from these stressful attacks is not a condition which is easily diagnosed by the medical profession, so if you go to see your doctor with any of the above, the first thing he or she will likely do is to is to try and rule out any specific medical reason for the symptoms you are experiencing. Pains in the chest could, of course, be a heart attack, hot flashes and excessive sweating a common symptom in women approaching menopause, and nausea and pounding headache could be a migraine. The first thing you need to do if you are experiencing any of these typical panic attack symptoms is to make sure it is a panic attack and nothing more life threatening. There is no doubt that panic attacks are a serious affliction for the sufferer but if you are sensible you will need to rule out other causes. Only then, can you go about tackling your panic attacks.

By: juliemartyn

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Julie Martyn is an avid student of personal development and is always searching for useful and practical ways for self-improvement for a happier, more prosperous and more fulfilling life. For more great information on panic attack relief, visit her blog and claim your FREE report "27 Easy Ways to Improve Your Life".