Rachel Willson researches panic and anxiety issues. If you found this article helpful and you would like to learn more about panic attacks then please visit her site at No Panic Now
If you think you have had a panic attack and you had any of these five common symptoms of a panic attack, it is recommended that you visit your doctor to insure there isn't something physically causing the symptoms. It's not uncommon for a person suffering from an attack to show up at the E.R., or like I did, call 911 because they think they are having a heart attack.
If a thorough medical exam can find no reason for the symptoms, then quite possibly you did have a panic attack. It's something you probably don't want to experience again but you have to in order to get over it.
Symptom Number 1: General Uneasiness
It's not uncommon to have a feeling of anxiety before the attack becomes full blown. If you just have a nagging feeling that something is not right or something bad is going to happen when there is really no reason for the uneasiness, then you are being set up for an attack. Some people feel a tingling in their body when this feeling comes on.
Symptom Number 2: Irrational Fear
The feeling of uneasiness can quickly turn into a sense of extreme fear. This fear will be painfully real to you. The fear may be of an immediate perceived threat but often times is a fear of a future event. For example, if you are driving a car you may have an immediate fear of a particular vehicle but more likely it will be a fear of losing control and causing a crash, an event that is not currently happening but one that you are sure will.
Symptom Number 3: Tightness of Neck and Chest
Your irrational fear has triggered your fight or flight reflex and your brain has ordered the body to produce and start pumping adrenalin. Muscles will start to contract in preparation of fighting or fleeing. Your neck muscles will tighten as well as your chest muscles.
Symptom Number 4: Rapid Pounding Heartbeat
The pumping command from the brain will increase both your heart rate and the pounding of your heart in order to quickly distribute the adrenalin. It is this symptom that leads so many panic attack sufferers to the ER as they think they are having a heart attack. Coupled with the increased heart rate will come a difficulty in breathing and/or swallowing.
Symptom Number 5: Perceived Loss Of Body Control
You may become dizzy or have an "unsure" feeling about your ability to control your body movements. It probably will not be as bad as vertigo but you will not have the confidence to do simple things like walking.
The good news is nobody has ever died from a panic attack. The bad news is that to a panic attack victim, it certainly feels like you are dying. Panic attacks are a serious condition that can greatly impact on your quality of life. Simply trying to avoid further attacks is not the answer. You need help and there are several therapies available. Do some research and then take on your panic attack issue head on.
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