A Guide to Panic Attacks

If you have an occasional panic attack, no treatment other than explanation and reassurance is usually needed. If you have recurring panic attacks, see your doctor as treatment can often help.

Niamh | A Guide to Panic Attacks

What is a panic attack?A panic attack is a severe attack of anxiety and fear which occurs suddenly, often without warning, and for no apparent reason. Various other symptoms then occur during a panic attack. These include one or more of the following:•Palpitationsorathumpingheart.•Sweatingandtrembling.•Hotflushesorchills.•Feelingshortofbreath,sometimeswith choking sensations.•Chestpains.•Feelingsick.•Feelingdizzy,orfaint.•Fearofdyingorgoingcrazy.•Numbness,orpinsandneedles.•Feelingsofunreality,orbeingdetached from yourself.

The physical symptoms that occur with panic attacks do not mean there is a physicalproblemwiththeheart,chest,etc.Thesymptomsmainlyoccurbecauseofan ‘overdrive’ of nervous impulses from the braintovariouspartsofthebodyduringapanic attack.

During a panic attack you tend to over-breathe(hyperventilate).Ifyouover-breatheyou‘blowout’toomuchcarbondioxidewhichchangestheacidityintheblood.This can then cause more symptoms such as confusion and cramps, and make palpitations,dizziness,andpinsandneedles worse. This can make the attack seem even more frightening, and make you over-breatheevenmore,andsoon.

A panic attack usually lasts 5-10 minutes, butsometimestheycomein‘waves’forupto two hours.

Who gets panic attacks?At least 1 in 10 people have occasional panic attacks. The tend to occur most in young adults. Twice as many women than men have panic attacks. Anyone can have apanicattack,buttheyalsotendtoruninsome families.

What causes panic attacks?Panicattacksusuallyoccurfornoapparentreason.Thecauseisnotclear.Stressfullifeeventssuchasabereavementmaysometimes trigger a panic attack.

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Dealing with a panic attackTo ease a panic attack, or to prevent one from getting worse:

•breatheasslowlyandasdeeplyasyou can.Concentrateonbreathing.

•breatheintoapaperbag.Bydoingthis youre-breatheyourowncarbondioxide. Thishelpstocorrectthebloodacidlevel thathadbeenupsetbyover-breathing which makes symptoms worse (describedabove).

What is the treatment for a panic attack?Noregulartreatmentisneededifyouhavejust an occasional panic attack. You may find it helpful to:

•understandaboutpanicattacks,andthe cause of the symptoms.

•knowthatanyphysicalsymptomswhich occur do not mean that you have aseriousdisease.Forexample,some people find it helpful to know that the palpitations or chest pains they had during a panic attack were not due to a heartorchestproblem.

•knowhowtodealwithapanicattack (seeabove).

Ifyouhavefrequentorrecurringpanicattacks, this is called panic disorder. Treatment to prevent panic attacks is an optionifyoudeveloppanicdisorder.Seeaseparateleafletcalled‘PanicDisorder’.

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