What happens when you have a panic attack?

Often imitating symptoms similar to a heart attack, the sudden onset of a panic attack can be an alarming experience.

The sensation is your body’s fight or flight mode kicked into high gear. That’s why you may experience abrupt symptoms, such as increased heart rate, shortness of breath, tremors, dizziness, nausea and tunnel vision.

The good news is that these symptoms aren’t long lasting. In fact, most of the physical ailments subside in 5 to 20 minutes.

“Panic attacks are acute, sudden episodes of extreme fear with physical symptoms lasting only several minutes,” explains Dr. Stacey Occomy, a psychiatrist at Advocate Health Care. “They can be so frightening that many people end up in the emergency room after their first panic attack to make sure they aren’t having a medical illness. However, they are not life threatening.”

The cause of panic attacks is still unknown.

“They often start suddenly without a specific trigger at first,” says Dr. Occomy. “However, if someone has one panic attack in a certain situation, sometimes just being in the same situation can trigger future attacks.”

What should you do if you are having a panic attack? Dr. Occomy recommends the following:

• Slow your breathing by taking deep breaths in and out.
• Shift your focus away from your symptoms and instead focus on an object outside of yourself. This is the practice of visualization. Try thinking of a memory, place or calming experience, including what it looks, feels, smells and sounds like.

Some people confuse the terms panic attack and anxiety attack, but the two conditions are quite different. Dr. Occomy says the biggest difference is that anxiety is a feeling of excess worry or tension over a long period of time and typically without the severe physical symptoms.

Whether you have panic or anxiety attacks, both can be addressed by your primary care doctor.

“Don’t be embarrassed to reach out to your doctor as panic and anxiety attacks are common and can be treated,” encourages Dr. Occomy. “Also, therapy is available and is a great resource to help teach and practice coping skills to prevent and treat panic attacks.”

If you or someone you know is exhibiting signs of emotional distress, call or text the suicide & crisis lifeline at 988.    

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