Panic Attacks and Anxiety

What are the Signs of Panic or Anxiety Attack

April 11th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed

For the purpose of this discussion we will use the term panic attack and anxiety attack concurrently.

What is anxiety?

According to psychological term “Anxiety” is a natural state of worry or alarm that occurs in response to a stress or a perceived threat. An “anxiety attack” in its simplest form is a period of time when anxiety is heightened and show some specific physiological symptoms.

An anxiety attack can also be called a “panic attack,” which is an unexpected moments of irrational fear.During this time, some physical symptoms can be felt and seen. Panic attacks can be debilitating and may recur. If left untreated they can develop into Panic Disorder.

What does Panic Attack or Anxiety Attack feel like?

First of all, what are the causes of the anxiety attack?

Worry is certainly one of them. Worry to a certain extent is natural for human beings. However, the brain has its own method for combating worry when it becomes alarm due to a perceived threat. The brain’s amygdala produces adrenaline, a hormone that prepares the body to handle a fearful situation by either defending itself or by running away. This “fight or flight” response is a natural defense mechanism and helps humans in times of true stress or danger.

The amygdala produces adrenaline whenever the brain perceives fear. Unfortunately, it cannot differentiate between irrational fear and true fear. If a person has a phobia, or an irrational fear of something specific such as unharm insects, the brain will still produce adrenaline though the person may not need to actually fight or flee. This results in too much of the hormone remaining in the bloodstream and produces the symptoms of anxiety attack.

These are normally the signs of anxiety attack:

Fast beating heart, sweaty palms, feeling of unreality, numbness in the extremities, hot or cold flashes, chills, nausea, and dry mouth.

What are the remedies for Panic Attack?

The treatment of panic and anxiety attacks should begin with managing the condition of the attack.

Next, lifestyle changes need to take place such as avoiding caffeine and smoking (which can cause anxiety), maintaining a healthy diet, and incorporating exercise and meditation into daily life.

Yoga is an excellent exercise for combating anxiety because it increases serotonin levels. Serotonin is a relaxant hormone. Medications and therapy can also help treat the symptoms of anxiety attack. It is important to make these changes before the attacks develop into anxiety or panic disorders.