Panic attack – symptoms, causes, breathing exercises. How to deal with panic attacks and can they be prevented?

A panic attack is an unpredictable occurrence of very severe anxiety. It is often combined with somatic symptoms such as headache or abdominal pain, which only adds to the anxiety. Most often, however, panic attacks are psychological. What does a panic attack look like? How to deal with it, and how to help someone? How to effectively get rid of anxiety attacks?

Each of us can experience a panic attack. A panic attack can sometimes be triggered by a specific event, and the attacks can also be a symptom of an anxiety disorder such as panic disorder or agoraphobia.

Panic attacks can have a very negative impact on the patient’s normal functioning, so it is not worth ignoring the annoying symptoms associated with panic attacks. It is best to consult your doubts with a psychologist during an online visit via the halodoctor.pl portal.

Panic attacks – causes and risk factors

Risk factors can be temperamental (ie, neuroticism and anxiety sensitivity), environmental (ie, childhood abuse and smoking), or genetic and physiological. The exact causes of panic attacks in individuals are unknown, but like many other disorders, panic attacks run in families, meaning that inheritance can play an important role in determining who is affected.

In fact, panic attacks and panic disorder often go hand in hand with other hereditary disorders such as bipolar disorder and alcoholism. However, it develops in many people with no family history of panic disorder. Malfunctioning of areas of the brain, such as the amygdala and the adrenaline glands, can overproduce certain chemicals that trigger physical symptoms.

Other biological factors, stressful life events, and over-thinking about common body responses are also thought to play a role in the onset of panic attacks and panic attacks. Often the first attacks are triggered by physical diseases, major stressors, or certain medications. People who take on too many responsibilities may be prone to panic attacks.

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is also one of the causes of panic attacks. It is a form of chronic anxiety that is often unrelated to a specific cause. Another cause is obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). In the case of OCD, the person experiences recurring unwanted thoughts and compulsive behavior. This can lead to panic attacks in some people, although OCD is no longer listed as an anxiety disorder according to the DSM-5 criteria.

People with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) also show a much higher rate of panic attack than other people.

Disorders and illnesses that increase the likelihood of a panic attack include:

1. hyperthyroidism – that is, excessive production of thyroid hormone,
2. hypoglycemia – low blood sugar,
3. Wilson’s disease – excessive deposition of copper in the brain, liver and other tissues and organs,
4. labyrinthitis, inflammation of the nerves of the inner ear,
5. mitral valve prolapse – a situation in which the mitral valve in the heart does not close as tightly as in healthy people,
6. orthostatic tachycardia syndrome – an abnormal increase in heart rate after sitting or standing,
7. phaeochromocytoma – a rare tumor of adrenal tissue.

Panic attack – symptoms

The signs and symptoms of a panic attack develop suddenly and usually peak within 10 minutes. They rarely last more than an hour, and most are completed within 20 to 30 minutes. Panic attacks can happen anywhere, anytime.

You can experience a panic attack in a store while shopping, walking down the street, driving in a car, and even while watching a movie on the couch at home. The feeling of a panic attack can vary from person to person, but some of the most common symptoms include:

1. accelerated heart rate
2. a feeling of palpitations
3. shortness of breath
4. dizziness,
5. nausea,
6. abdominal cramps
7. sweating or chills
8. breathing difficulties,
9. fear of losing control
10. trembling of the body or hands
11. chest pain or tightness
12. fear of death,
13. numbness or tingling in the hands, feet or face
14. changes in your mental state, such as feeling derealized (feeling unrealistic) or depersonalizing (detaching yourself from yourself).

Sometimes a panic attack is triggered by a specific event or external stimulus. Other times, the symptoms of a panic attack show up for no apparent reason. Usually the symptoms are not proportional to the level of risk in the surrounding environment.

Due to their unpredictable nature, panic attacks can significantly affect everyday life.

It is possible to experience a panic attack in which have fewer than four of the symptoms above, called a panic attack with reduced symptoms.

Panic attacks with limited symptoms are often experienced by people undergoing effective panic disorder treatment as they learn to use therapeutic techniques to reduce the number and severity of symptoms they experience during an attack.

See: How to lower your heart rate? Causes and ways to lower your heart rate

Nocturnal panic attacks are common in people with panic disorder, but may also be the first or only experience of a panic attack.

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Panic Attack – Run and Fight

When the body is faced with an imminent threat, the brain tells the autonomic nervous system to activate the “flight or fight” response. The body is flooded with a number of chemicals, including adrenaline, that trigger physiological changes. For example, heart rate and breathing are increased and blood flows to the muscles to prepare for a physical fight or flight.

A panic attack is said to occur when the “flight or fight” response is triggered, but there is no danger. A person may experience symptoms of a panic attack in harmless and seemingly stress-free situations, such as watching TV, walking or even sleeping.

Some of the factors that can prepare the body to inappropriately activate the flight or fight response include:

1. chronic (persistent) stress – causes your body to produce higher than normal levels of stressful chemicals such as adrenaline
2. acute stress (e.g. experiencing a traumatic event) – it can suddenly “flood” the body with a large amount of stressful chemicals,
3. habitual hyperventilation – disturbs the gas balance in the blood, because there is not enough carbon dioxide in the blood,
4. intense exercise – in some people it can cause extreme reactions,
5. excessive caffeine consumption – caffeine in coffee, tea and other beverages is a powerful stimulant.
6. chronic disease – can cause physical changes, 
7. sudden change of environment – e.g. entering an overcrowded, hot or stuffy environment.

Also read: Doctors: Every ninth Pole suffers from chronic kidney disease

It is not uncommon for a person who has experienced a panic attack to feel embarrassed about reporting it to their family or doctor. Many people are unaware of how often a panic attack occurs and / or that it may be related to panic disorder or another form of anxiety that can be easily treated with appropriate psychotherapy and / or medications.

Even if a mental health condition is not diagnosed, the doctor will be able to advise on the techniques of the procedure in the event of a panic attack in the future and will be able to perform checkups to rule out other conditions or health problems. For example, you may be screened to rule out the risk of a heart attack, especially if it is believed that you have had a heart attack during the episode.

Read: Obesity is the direct cause of a heart attack

Learn as much as possible about the panic attack mechanism – Simply knowing about panic attacks can go a long way in relieving symptoms. Read about the anxiety, panic disorder, and fight or flight response experienced during a panic attack.

Avoid smoking, drinking alcohol and large amounts of caffeine All of this can trigger panic attacks in susceptible individuals. If you need help to quit smoking, there are various forms of help available. Also, be careful with medications that contain stimulants, such as diet pills and cold remedies.

Learn to control your breathing – hyperventilation causes many symptoms (such as dizziness and tightness in the chest) that occur during a panic attack. On the other hand, deep breathing can relieve panic symptoms. By learning to control your breathing, you can calm down when you start to feel anxious.

Practice relaxation techniques – Regularly practiced activities such as yoga, meditation and gradual muscle relaxation enhance the body’s relaxation response – the opposite of the stress response associated with anxiety and panic. These relaxation practices not only promote relaxation, but also increase the feeling of joy and peace.

Be present in family and company – symptoms of a panic attack may worsen when you feel isolated, so consult with people who care about you regularly. If you feel you have nobody to turn to, learn about ways to meet new people and build supportive friendships.

Do physical activity – Exercise is a natural anxiety reliever, so try to move for at least 30 minutes, preferably daily (three 10-minute sessions are just as good). Rhythmic aerobic exercise that requires moving your arms and legs – such as walking, running, swimming, or dancing – can be especially effective.

Get a good night’s sleep – Insufficient or poor sleep quality can worsen anxiety, so try to sleep seven to nine hours a day.

You can also ask your doctor to prescribe the appropriate medications. However, you should be very careful – taking this type of substances cannot become a daily ritual, because they are very addictive. Therefore, remember that under no circumstances should you take these drugs on your own, or modify the dose prescribed by your doctor yourself. Any doubts should be consulted with a psychologist, and you can make an appointment in one of the POLMED facilities.

Panic attack – breathing exercises

If you are breathing quickly during a panic attack, doing a breathing exercise may help. Please follow the steps below:

1. breathe as slowly, deeply and gently as you can through your nose
2. exhale slowly, deeply and gently through your mouth
3. some people find it helpful to keep counting from 1 to 5 on every inhale and exhalation
4. close your eyes and focus on breathing
5. after a few minutes you should start to feel better. You may feel tired later.

Panic attack – consequences

Panic attacks can, as already mentioned, be minimized. Unfortunately, many people put off seeking help out of embarrassment and shame. Untreated panic attacks or panic disorders can disrupt our daily functioning. If left untreated, panic attacks can turn into:

1. anticipatory anxiety – the possibility of a panic attack causes extreme anxiety.
2. phobia – a phobia is an extreme, unjustified fear of something specific. For example, acrophobia is the fear of heights, and claustrophobia is the fear of confined spaces,
3. agoraphobia – this anxiety disorder makes us afraid of being in places or situations where a panic attack may occur. The fear can become so extreme that you are too afraid to leave the house.

Panic attack and panic disorder

Recurring panic attacks that are not related to another condition will be diagnosed as an anxiety disorder that can be treated with psychotherapy and / or anti-anxiety medications.

In order to diagnose panic disorder, the person must experience frequent, symptomatic panic attacks, which are not caused by a concomitant medical condition or chemically induced. The extent to which panic attacks affect your daily life between episodes will also be considered – most people with panic disorder have a debilitating fear of the possibility of future panic attacks.

People with panic disorder may experience panic attacks in situations that recur or resemble the circumstances of a previous panic attack, such as being in a crowd or before speaking in public. This can have a negative impact on a person’s daily routine as many people avoid situations that could trigger a panic attack and thus experience a reduced quality of life.

Panic disorder usually occurs together with other anxiety disorders. Panic attacks themselves are quite rare. The conditions most commonly associated with panic disorder include:

1. other anxiety disorders, in particular agoraphobia
2. affective disorder – bipolar,
3. alcohol abuse,
4. depression.