How To Know If You're Suffering From Panic Attacks

Most people will experience at least one or two panic attacks at some point in their life. This will happen when a person finds himself in an extremely stressful situation. The body then activates what is known as the "fight or flight" mechanism. This phenomena is considered normal when is comes at a highly stressful situation. But for some people, the Panic attacks come almost at random, or in a very mildly stressful situation. This is considered a Panic attack disorder and as you may imagine it greatly affects the lives of the person who has it and his close environment. So what are the main panic attack symptoms? How can you tell if you are having one?

Panic attacks symptoms are surprisingly similar to a heart attack, but don't worry - the two can be easily distinguished by ant doctor. While having a panic attack the symptoms a person will experience will include:

• Quickness of breathing
• Increased heart rate
• Increased body temperature
• An overwhelming feeling of dread or fear (panic).
• Tightness in the chest
• Tingling in one or both arms and/or the tips of the fingers
• Profuse sweating
• Minor delusions
• Unreasonable fear towards random objects or events
• Lightheadedness
• Dizziness
• Nausea

The symptoms listed above are common symptoms related to panic attacks, each varying from person to person. Most chronic panic sufferers tend to have a unique set of symptoms that mark their panic attacks.

By the way, the feeling of tightness in the chest leads some of the sufferers to believe that they are having a heart attack. However, any doctor can tell you that a real heart attack has additional key symptoms that most are unlikely to ignore.

So, How to tell for sure if you're having a panic attack?

Besides experiencing any combination of the symptoms mentioned above, there are a few exclusive factors behind real panic attacks.

• Panic attacks are very limited in time. The body can maintain this reaction for no more than 15 minutes. Anyone who experiences a combination of some of the symptoms that are described above can rest a sure they will pass before long.

• Another major factor of panic attacks is the feeling of anxiety that follows an attack. Most people who experience a panic attack tend to worry about attacks that will follow. This is a natural reaction, and another reassurance that all you experienced was an anxiety attack. This feeling of fear will at most cases be gone within a week's time.

Having said that, toy mast pay attention to feeing of fear that lasts for weeks, as well as recurring attacks. These may indicate that you suffer from a chronic panic disorder, and not just an isolated incident. If this is the case in would be wise to seek help with a medical physician or psychiatric doctor in order to control the attacks.

Are You Free of Panic Attacks?

You may not realize it, but you may suffer from something that can take over your whole world if you let it. You'll recognize the symptoms, but you'll have no idea what's behind them.

Panic attacks are debilitating. One moment, you're living your day to day lifestyle and the next, you find yourself paralyzed with the feeling that you've lost all control. You worry about the possibility of something happening to you. It all comes on so quickly and unexpected, that you're blown away and the only thing you want to do is go right back home.

While they can be caused by a number of things - heredity, biological forces, even exaggerated thinking - the main culprit is usually stress. As stress plays such a huge factor in our day to day lives, we don't realize just how profoundly we're affected until something highly stressful approaches and we're struck with a panic attack, afraid of absolutely everything that may come our way. Finding a proper stress relief is crucial in order to help limit the number of panic attacks a person has at any given point in their life. If stress is controlled before panic and anxiety set in, there is a better likelihood of being able to stop panic attacks before they start.

The symptoms of a panic attack are obvious enough: the rapid heartbeat, difficulty breathing, the feeling of dizziness and dread, trembling, sudden chills,and the pins and needles feeling in your fingers and toes are only a few of many symptoms. In any given year, there millions of people who experience a panic attack - some of which experience repeated panic attacks.

The best course of action for panic attacks would be to talk to your doctor, who can prescribe medications and forms of therapy to assist with the treatment of those feelings of panic. Only your doctor would know the treatment that is best for you. While a panic attack may leave you feeling the need to hide and can feel as though it controls every aspect of your life, it doesn't have to. With proper treatment and reduced stress, you can reduce the number of panic attacks you have, and can even eliminate them! A happy, healthy life is once again within your reach.