Key Takeaways:
- Can a panic attack kill you? A panic attack itself is generally not life-threatening, even though symptoms such as chest pain, a racing heart, shortness of breath, dizziness, and nausea can closely resemble a medical emergency.
- Panic attacks occur when the body’s fight-or-flight response activates without an immediate threat, triggering real physical symptoms through stress hormones such as adrenaline.
- Panic attacks and heart attacks can have overlapping symptoms, and new, severe, persistent, or unfamiliar chest pain should not be self-diagnosed; fainting, significant breathing difficulty, neurological symptoms, or worsening symptoms require urgent medical evaluation.
- Recurrent, unexpected panic attacks accompanied by persistent worry or behavioral changes for at least a month may indicate panic disorder, an anxiety disorder in which fear of future attacks becomes an ongoing problem.
- Panic attacks and panic disorder can be treated with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), psychotherapy, and medication, while breathing, grounding, and mindfulness techniques can help manage symptoms during an individual attack.
A panic attack on its own is not life-threatening. While this is good news, many people who experience panic attacks will tell you truthfully that they feel like they’re having a heart attack or some other kind of medical emergency while it’s happening.
The racing or pounding heart, chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea, chills, and a sudden sense of losing control can feel exactly like a medical emergency, and some people experiencing their first attack even end up in an emergency room because of this.
What Happens to Your Body During a Panic Attack?
A panic attack is your body’s fight-or-flight response firing at the wrong time. When your brain perceives a threat, it releases stress hormones like adrenaline that prepare you to fight or run. While this is a helpful system when the threat is legitimate, it’s not very helpful when there’s no actual threat that you’re facing. This can produce a wide range of sensations, including:
- A racing or pounding heart
- Shortness of breath
- Hyperventilation
- Chest pain or tightness
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Shaking and sweating
- Chills
- Nausea
- Tingling or numbness
- Feeling detached from yourself or your surroundings
- A fear of dying or of losing control
These physical symptoms are real, not imagined. Anxiety is causing or contributing to them, but your heart really is pounding and your chest really does feel tight, which is why panic attacks can often convince someone they are in need of emergency medical attention.
Can a Panic Attack Cause a Heart Attack?
Panic attacks and heart attacks produce overlapping symptoms, particularly chest pain, shortness of breath, sweating, nausea, dizziness, and a rapid heartbeat. In the moment, the overlap is what makes panic so terrifying.
A panic attack does not generally cause a heart attack in an otherwise healthy person. That said, no one should try to diagnose chest pain on their own, especially when symptoms are new, unusually severe, or different from previous panic attacks. If there’s a reasonable possibility that a heart attack or another acute medical condition is occurring, seeking emergency medical attention is always the right call.
How Can You Tell the Difference Between a Panic Attack and a Medical Emergency?
Honestly, many people can’t tell the difference based on the symptoms alone. A doctor can evaluate the symptoms and, when necessary, perform testing to rule out a more serious medical condition. They also consider other factors, like if the person has had panic attacks before, how the symptoms began, how long they last and what they look like, how old the patient is, and whether they have cardiovascular risk factors or other medical conditions.
There are red flags that call for urgent medical evaluation, including severe or persistent chest pain, fainting, significant difficulty breathing, neurological symptoms like weakness or slurred speech, and symptoms that are unfamiliar or getting worse rather than passing. It’s always safer to get checked out and have it be a panic attack than to ignore the symptoms of what turns out to be a heart attack.
What Can Trigger Panic Attacks?
Panic attacks can happen for a number of different reasons, and it can be different for everyone. However, potential triggers and contributing factors include:
- Chronic stress
- Major life changes
- Trauma
- Lack of sleep
- Excessive caffeine or other stimulants
- Certain medications or substances
- Other anxiety disorders
- PTSD
- Medical conditions that produce similar physical sensations
It’s also possible for panic attacks to occur without any obvious trigger at all.
What Should You Do During a Panic Attack?
In the middle of an attack, the goal isn’t to force it to stop; it’s to ride it out without amplifying it. A few strategies that help:
- Remind yourself that the sensations will pass; panic attacks peak and then go away, usually within minutes
- Slow your breathing deliberately rather than taking rapid, shallow breaths
- Sit somewhere safe if you feel dizzy or lightheaded
- Focus your attention on something concrete in your surroundings, such as objects you can see, sounds you can hear
- Use grounding or mindfulness techniques you’ve practiced
- Avoid repeatedly checking your pulse or scanning your symptoms if doing so increases your anxiety
These techniques can make attacks more manageable, but they’re coping tools, not treatment. If attacks are frequent or severe, working with a professional to address the underlying cause is a good idea.
What Is Panic Disorder?
Panic disorder is an anxiety disorder defined not just by panic attacks themselves, but by what happens between them. Panic disorder involves recurrent, unexpected panic attacks followed by at least a month of persistent worry about having another attack, concern about what the attacks mean, changes in behavior meant to avoid them, or a combination of these problems. The panic attacks are only part of the mental health condition; the fear surrounding them is what tends to turn it into panic disorder.
How Are Panic Attacks and Panic Disorder Treated?
Panic attacks are incredibly overwhelming at the moment, but there are ways to treat them.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT is commonly used for panic disorder and other anxiety disorders. People learn to recognize the thoughts and physical sensations that contribute to panic, reduce their fear of the sensations themselves, and change the avoidance behaviors that build up around attacks. When clinically appropriate, CBT may include gradual, planned exposure to feared sensations or situations so the body learns those sensations aren’t dangerous.
Talk Therapy
Psychotherapy helps identify the triggers, stressors, trauma, and patterns that contribute to panic in the first place. Treatment is individualized rather than focused only on stopping individual attacks; for many people, understanding what’s underneath the panic is what leads to lasting changes.
Medication
SSRIs and other antidepressants are commonly used as longer-term treatments for panic disorder and anxiety disorders, and some anti-anxiety medications may be appropriate in certain circumstances.
When Should You Get Professional Help for Panic Attacks?
You don’t need to wait until your life feels out of control to seek professional help. Consider reaching out if panic attacks keep happening, you’re constantly worried about another one, you’ve started avoiding certain places or activities, or anxiety is interfering with work, relationships, sleep, or daily life.
It doesn’t matter if your life is otherwise okay and you feel like things are mostly under control. If you’re continuing to have panic attacks and are afraid they’re going to keep coming, there’s no reason to not seek treatment.
Contact Luxury Psychiatry Clinic To Schedule an Initial Evaluation
If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance that panic attacks have taken a lot from you, more than they should. You don’t have to let panic attacks or the fear of having more rule your life. The team at Luxury Psychiatry Clinic is available to have a conversation with you and help create a treatment plan that can get your life back on track. Reach out today to schedule your initial consultation.
