Oct

Describe a panic attack

Panic Attack And Anxiety: The Associated Symptoms

Panic attacks can take place out of the blue, without cause or preamble. People can face several periods of anxiety that leads to a variety of symptoms. A patient may perhaps run into a variety of signs that confirm one is going through such an episode. One is diagnosed with this disorder when this person develops four or more signs from the thirteen diagnostic criteria suddenly . These symptoms may well be further differentiated into two categories: cognitive and somatic.

Physical signs are somatic symptoms. Eight out of thirteen from the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for a panic attack fall under this category. These are: palpitations; sweating; trembling; shortness of breath; nausea; fainting; numbness; and chills.

A palpitation is the unusual awareness of the heart and its rhythm. People describe these palpitations as pounding or an increased heart pace.

Throughout an anxiety attack is sweating commonly related with cold sweat. The sweating is also irregular and profuse, nothing like sweating during and after exercise.

A patient might tremble or shake excessively, although this might be expressed visibly or not.

Shortness of breath or hyperventilation may be felt by the person with a sense of being suffocated.

Abdominal distress or nausea in this scenario is not necessarily related with vomiting. Oftentimes, a person suffering from a panic attack would just get an upset stomach of a sick feeling.

Vertigo is most likely the most common complaint that medical doctors come across. Dizziness may be accompanied by a slight vertigo. This symptom may cause a person to pass out and injure himself.

Another main symptom is Paresthesias that can be described as tingling feeling or lack of sensation.

Hot flashes or chills are also related with panic attacks.

The commonly found combination, from all of these symptoms is shaking, chills, sweating and numbness.

On the other hand, cognitive, means mind; for that reason, these are in general imagined sensations by the patient. Sensations similar to choking, chest pain, derealization or depersonalization, feelings of losing control, and fear of dying falls under this category .

Derealization and depersonalization are more or less, but not 1000 quite, the same. They are both described as unreal or surreal. Depersonalization is feeling detached from oneself or surroundings while derealization is feelings of unreality.

Losing control is more related with avoidance of embarrassment.

These feelings may be embedded so much in the mind of a sufferer they believe they are going mad.

Many people will undergo anxiety at one point in their lives; but some will suffer from it more often than others. Rather than jumping to conclusions, it is best to get one or two medical opinions. It is also good to be well-informed of these symptoms to be capable of help and support a person who suffers from a panic attack.

By: Charlene Nelson