Sudden Panic attack: Don’t freak, Just Breathe

Panic Attack

A panic attack is an intense attack of fear that can occur by physical and emotional reactions.

When a person sees sudden fear like coming face-to-face with a tiger unexpectedly, then it triggers a fight or flight situation.

A panic attack is a situation where a person feels difficulty in breathing, increased heartbeat, and chest pain feel like you have a heart attack.

Symptoms of panic attack

Panic attacks have some common symptoms. If you saw some symptoms in person then you have to immediately call the ambulance.

These symptoms of a panic attack include:

• Chest pain
• increase heartbeat
• shortness of breathing
• dizziness
• sweating
• choking sensation
• shaking
• nausea and abdominal discomfort
• chills and heat sensation
• fear of losing control
• derealization
• lower blood pressure
• headache
• dry mouth
• feel fainted
• chills and hot flashes
• fear of another panic attack

If you face or see someone with a panic attack then immediately call an ambulance – 102.

Reason for panic attack

We were told that panic attacks occur during fearful situations but what exactly happens inside our body that leads to panic attacks are:

Brain and body connection: Studies indicate that the connection b/w body and brain is disturbed during fearful situations, leading to attacks.

Family history: If someone in your family has panic attack disorder then it increases the risk in future generations.

Anxiety situation: Excessive worries about something release stress hormones (adrenaline and cortisol) leading to increased heartbeat and then panic attacks.

Poor mental health: People with poor mental health conditions like anxiety, stress, depression and other mental disorders are at higher risk of attack.

Medical condition: Any medical issue such as heart disease, cardiovascular disease, and thyroid can contribute to panic attacks.

illegal substance use: Consuming excessive alcohol, tobacco, caffeine and illegal drugs can also trigger an attack situation.

Panic attack, anxiety attack and heart attack

Panic attack during pregnancy

During pregnancy, several things happen like hormonal changes, increased weight, increased blood flow, mood swings, and difficulty in work.

Hormone changes affect mood which also contributes to anxiety levels.

Physical changes in women like increased weight, increased blood circulation, and difficulty in breathing contribute to anxiousness.

However, if women already have a previous anxiety history or genetics then she is more at risk of anxiety attacks.

If you notice any distress apart from normal pregnancy, which occurs frequently or increases day by day then you should talk to your doctor.

How to avoid panic attacks?

To prevent attack it would be right that we take such precautions so that we are less likely to have any type of attacks.

Here are Some tips to prevent panic attacks.

1. Manage stress, which plays a vital role in attacks
2. Do exercise daily for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour for both heart and non-heart patients.
3. Yoga can reverse heart disease, so practice yoga.
4. Reduce the intake of cholesterol and triglyceride and if you are a heart patient then completely avoid these.
5. take enough sleep all-day
6. The most essential – know about your health.
7. Quit the form of tobacco
8. eat a healthy diet and adopt a healthy lifestyle

How can you Help someone in a panic attack?

If you seen someone or notice any sign of a panic attack (which we already informed in our previous blog) then immediately call an ambulance.

• take deep and slow breathing
• find quite and safe space for comfort.
• call the ambulance as soon as possible delay can lead to severe cases.
• distract the person from triggering thing
• tell the person to calm down and it’s nothing its just a mental woes.
• make sure to focus on deep breathing
• tell his/her solution, motivate them
• to seek medical help as soon as possible

Panic attacks can be painful mentally and physically, and make a person fear another panic attack.

So adopt healthy habits, like consuming a well-balanced diet, take enough sleep everyday at least 8hours, manage stress, and avoid trigger things.

Down Line

Panic attacks are more common in anxiety patients where excessive fear and anxiousness feeling lead to this.

However, you can easily reduce the risk of it by managing stress, getting enough sleep, and adopting a healthy diet.

Stress and anxiety are some of the most common reasons for attacks whether it is heart, anxiety, or panic.