The Panic Attack Symptom Range and Treatment Aspects
The most common panic attack symptom is severe anxiety. There are a number of other symptoms that can help you understand whether you are affected by this psychosomatic disorder. The disorder is believed to be caused by biological disturbances in the central nervous system, which may be hereditary. Stress may exacerbate the panic attack symptom range. The attacks typically have a sudden start, without any precursors, and for no apparent reason.
Here is a panic attack symptom list:
- Severe anxiety.
- Dizziness or feeling faint.
- Shortness of breath.
- The feeling of suffocation or lack of air.
- Instable or staggered gait.
- Heart palpitations.
- Pain or tightness in the chest.
- Tingling or numbness in the limbs.
- Nausea, diarrhea.
- Perceiving the environment as “strange” or “unrealistic.”
- Fear of death, fear of going insane or losing self-control.
The panic attack symptom range can affect a person for as little as minutes or as long as one hour. This can occur two to four times a week on average. In some cases, the attacks will disappear for long periods of time, and then come back for no apparent reason. Their severity may vary considerably in different people, and even in the same person.
Who can experience the panic attack symptom range?
It is believed that at any given time there are several million people in the world that might be experiencing these symptoms. It affects both, men and women. However, women constitute the majority of patients (75%) with panic disorder, due to some unclear biochemical and physiological factors. The disorder typically starts in the late twenties or early thirties.
Can panic attacks lead to something more severe?
Panic attacks can cause much suffering to a person and poison their everyday life, but they are not dangerous in the sense that they can become a cause of death. Many people who experience repeated attacks become more anxious in general, and may even develop phobias. They may start to fear and try to avoid places and situations where they experienced the panic attack symptom range, such as crowds, elevators, shopping malls, or highways. In the end, they can start to fear making any plans, traveling or even shopping. This may cause adverse consequences for the social and family life of a person, as well as their job and career.
Can the panic attack symptom range be treated?
This disorder can be successfully treated. In most all cases, it is successfully treated with medication and psychotherapy. Since everyone is different, there is an individual treatment plan that is required to be developed for each patient by their doctor. The sample treatment plan may consist of three aspects. First, the fast-acting drugs – these help to reduce the current panic attack symptom range fast. Secondly, the slower acting drugs – these help to prevent the attacks in the future. Thirdly, the cognitive-behavioral therapy – this helps to reduce the anxieties and phobias. Medication is rarely used alone, because the discontinuation of the drug can lead to a relapse in as much as 50% of the cases.
