panic attack
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What is a panic attack?
A panic attack is a sudden surge of intense fear or terror that occurs without an apparent cause. It is diagnosed based on the presence of at least four physical or psychological symptoms, which may include:
- Shortness of breath
- Palpitations or accelerated heart rate
- Chest pain or discomfort
- Dizziness or faintness
- Fear of dying or "going crazy"
Panic attacks can be situationally bound, situationally predisposed, or unexpected, and their intensity can range from mild to severe, typically lasting 10–15 minutes. Cognitive therapy and medications can help to treat panic attacks.
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What are common symptoms of a panic attack?
A panic attack involves a sudden surge of intense fear or terror without an obvious cause. Diagnosis requires experiencing at least four physical or psychological symptoms, which can vary in intensity.
Physical symptoms include:
* Shortness of breath
* Palpitations or accelerated heart rate
* Chest pain or discomfort
* Choking
* Dizziness or faintness
* Trembling or shaking
* Sweating
* Nausea or abdominal distress
* Numbness or tingling
* Hot flashes or chillsPsychological symptoms include a smothering sensation, a feeling of unreality, a fear of dying, and a fear of "going crazy" or losing control. Panic attacks may be situationally bound, situationally predisposed, or unexpected and can be associated with anxiety-related conditions or breathing disorders.
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How does a panic attack feel different from ordinary fear or anxiety?
Panic attacks are sudden episodes of intense fear that arise without an apparent cause, while ordinary fear or anxiety is usually linked to a perceived stressor or threat. Panic attacks involve physical and psychological symptoms, including terror, heart palpitations, and fear of losing control or dying. People may mistake their symptoms for a heart attack. Ordinary anxiety, in contrast, involves worry, distress, or fear that develops gradually and may last for hours or days. Although both conditions share symptoms such as increased heart rate and shortness of breath, panic attacks are typically more intense and of sudden onset.
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What can cause someone to have a panic attack?
A panic attack is a sudden episode of intense fear that triggers severe physical and psychological symptoms, even without apparent cause.
Several factors can contribute to panic attacks:
* Genetics Some individuals may have genetic variations, such as a mutation of the HTR2A gene, that increase their susceptibility.
* Environmental factors Environmental factors can combine with genetic factors to cause panic disorders.
* Sensitivity to suffocation signals Heightened sensitivity to signals like increased carbon dioxide or lactate levels can trigger a panic response.
* Underlying conditions Breathing disorders like asthma, bereavement, or separation anxiety can make people more prone to panic attacks.
* Neurochemical imbalances Decreased levels of neurotransmitters like serotonin and gamma-aminobutyric acid have been found in people who experience panic attacks.4 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How do doctors diagnose panic attacks and panic disorder?
Doctors diagnose panic attacks and panic disorder through recognizing reported physical and psychological symptoms, as well as identifying patterns of worry and avoidance behavior.
To be diagnosed as a panic attack, a sudden onset of intense apprehension, fear, or terror must occur without apparent cause. At least four physical or psychological symptoms must be present, including things like shortness of breath, fear of dying, or fear of losing control.
Panic disorder, an anxiety disorder, is diagnosed when someone has repeated panic attacks that lead to persistent worry and avoidance to prevent situations that could trigger an attack.
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What kinds of treatments or coping strategies can help with panic attacks?
Panic attacks are characterized by the sudden onset of intense apprehension, fear, or terror, occurring without apparent cause.
Treatments
- Cognitive therapy Patients learn skills to cope with and prevent attacks. This includes blocking irrational thoughts, engaging in conversation, and concentrating on repetitive tasks.
- Exposure therapy Repeatedly confronting fears can desensitize patients, especially those with agoraphobia.
- Pharmacotherapy Medications like tricyclic antidepressants, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, and serotonin reuptake inhibitors can help correct chemical imbalances in the brain.
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panic attack, sudden onset of intense apprehension, fear, or terror that occurs without apparent cause. A panic attack is diagnosed based on the occurrence of at least four physical (somatic) or psychological symptoms. Physical symptoms may include shortness of breath, palpitations or accelerated heart rate, chest pain or discomfort, choking, dizziness or faintness, trembling or shaking, sweating, nausea, abdominal distress, numbness or tingling, and hot flashes or chills. Psychological symptoms may consist of a smothering sensation, a feeling of unreality, a fear of dying, and a fear of “going crazy” or losing control. The intensity of panic attacks is variable, ranging from severe to relatively mild, and most attacks last about 10–15 minutes. There are three different types of panic attacks, known as situationally bound (expected to occur in specific situations), situationally predisposed (may or may not occur in specific situations), and unexpected. Thus, a panic attack does not necessarily precede or follow a stressful situation. In some cases, symptoms of an attack are mistaken for other problems, such as a heart attack or a gastrointestinal condition.
Panic attacks are the most common psychological disorder occurring in people affected by breathing disorders, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Some adults and children experiencing bereavement or separation anxiety are susceptible to panic attacks. Furthermore, many persons who experience panic attacks display irregular breathing patterns when resting quietly and when sleeping, and some are likely to engage in avoidance behaviour in an attempt to prevent placing themselves in situations that could precipitate an attack.
Panic attacks may form part of a more significant anxiety-related condition called panic disorder. There appear to be genetic factors that increase susceptibility in some individuals. Genetic defects in neurochemical messenger systems in the brain have been implicated in panic. For example, decreased levels of receptors for a neurotransmitter called serotonin, as well as decreased levels of an inhibitory neurotransmitter called gamma-aminobutyric acid, have been identified in the brains of people affected by panic attacks. Scientists also have proposed a suffocation false alarm theory, in which signals about potential suffocation arise from physiological and psychological centres involved in sensing factors associated with suffocation, such as increasing carbon dioxide and lactate levels in the brain. People affected by panic disorder appear to have an increased sensitivity to these alarm signals, which produce a heightened sense of anxiety. This increased sensitivity results in misinterpretation of nonthreatening situations as terrifying events.
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Treatment for panic attacks typically includes cognitive therapy, in which patients learn skills that help them to cope with and to thwart an attack. Examples of skills that are effective in avoiding panic attacks when symptoms begin to appear include blocking thoughts associated with irrational fears, engaging in conversation with another person, and concentrating on a single repetitive task. Whereas many people can be treated through cognitive therapy alone, some patients require pharmacotherapy. For example, tricyclic antidepressants, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, and serotonin reuptake inhibitors can be effective treatments for patients who experience frequent panic attacks.