Panic Attacks Symptoms – Diagnostic Criteria for Panic Attacks

Diagnostic Criteria for Panic Attack

Experiencing a panic attack has been said to be one of the most intensely frightening, upsetting and uncomfortable experiences of a person’s life and may take days to initially recover from. Many people suffering from panic attacks don’t know they have a real and treatable disorder. Many people don’t know that their disorder is real and highly responsive to treatment, also said is possible to cure panic attacks. Some are afraid or embarrassed to tell anyone, including their doctors and loved ones, about their panic attacks for fear of being considered a hypochondriac. Instead they suffer in silence, distancing themselves from friends, family, and others who could be helpful or supportive during their panic attacks treatment. 
A panic attack is a discrete period of intense fear or discomfort that is associated with numerous (four or more) somatic and cognitive panic attacks symptoms (according to DSM-IV Codes) developed abruptly and reached a peak within 10 minutes. These symptoms include:

• palpitations or accelerated heart rate
• sweating
• trembling or shaking
• sensations of shortness of breath or smothering
• feeling of choking
• chest pain or discomfort
• nausea or abdominal distress
• feeling dizzy, unsteady, lightheaded or faint
• de-realization (feelings of unreality) or depersonalization (being detached from oneself)
• fear of losing control or going insane
• sense of impeding death
• paresthesias (numbness or tingling sensations)
• chills or hot flashes

The panic attack typically has an abrupt onset, building to maximum intensity within 10 to 15 minutes (see here). Most people report a fear of dying, “going crazy,” or losing control of emotions or behavior. The experiences generally provoke a strong urge to escape or flee the place where the panic attack begins and, when associated with chest pain or shortness of breath, frequently results in seeking aid from a hospital emergency room or other type of urgent assistance. Yet an panic attack rarely lasts longer than 30 minutes.

These panic attacks symptoms are interpreted with alarm in people prone to panic attacks. Often, the onset of shortness of breath and chest pain are the predominant symptoms; the sufferer incorrectly appraises this as a sign or symptom of a heart attack. This can result in the person experiencing a panic attack seeking treatment in an emergency room, under specialist medical supervision.
Since many of the symptoms of panic disorder mimic those of illnesses such as heart disease, thyroid problems, and breathing disorders, people with panic disorder often make many visits to emergency rooms or doctors’ offices, convinced they have a life-threatening illness. It often takes months or years and a great deal of frustration before receiving the correct diagnosis and correct panic attacks treatment. If you want to store your things in good conditions, we provide a large number of goodsshop shelf, heavy goodsshop shelf supermarket shelf, storage shelf etc.

Panic attacks are distinguished from other forms of anxiety by their intensity and their sudden, episodic nature. They are often experienced in conjunction with anxiety disorders and other psychological conditions, although panic attacks are not usually indicative of a mental disorder.

While the various panic attacks symptoms may cause the victim to feel that their body is failing, it is in fact protecting itself from harm. The various symptoms of a panic attack can be understood as follows. First, there is frequently (but not always) the sudden onset of fear with little provoking stimulus. This leads to a release of adrenaline which brings about the so-called fight-or-flight response wherein the person’s body prepares for strenuous physical activity. This induce an increased heart rate (tachycardia), rapid breathing (hyperventilation) which may be perceived as shortness of breath (dyspnea), and sweating (which increases grip and aids heat loss). Because strenuous activity rarely ensues, the hyperventilation cause a drop in carbon dioxide levels in the lungs and then in the blood. This leads to shifts in blood pH (respiratory alkalosis or hypocapnia), which in turn can lead to many other symptoms, such as tingling or numbness, dizziness, burning and lightheadedness. Moreover, the release of adrenaline during a panic attack causes vasoconstriction resulting in slightly less blood flow to the head which causes dizziness and lightheadedness. A panic attack can cause blood sugar to be drawn away from the brain and towards the major muscles. It is also possible for the person experiencing such an panic attack to feel as though they are unable to catch their breath, and they begin to take deeper breaths, which also acts to decrease carbon dioxide levels in the blood.

Paper bag rebreathing

Many panic attack sufferers as well as doctors recommend breathing into a paper bag as an effective short-term panic attacks treatment of an acute panic attack. However, this panic attacks treatment has been criticised by others as ineffective and possibly hazardous to the patient, even potentially worsening the panic attack. Critics say that this technique can fatally lower oxygen levels in the blood stream, and increase carbon dioxide levels, which in turn has been found to be a major cause of panic attacks.

Conclusions

It is not unusual for panic disorder sufferers to experience only one or two symptoms at a time, such as vibrations in their legs, or shortness of breath, or an intense wave of heat traveling up their bodies which is not similar to hot flashes due to estrogen shortage. Some symptoms, such as vibrations in the legs are sufficiently different from any normal sensation that they clearly indicate panic disorder. Other symptoms on the list can occur in people who may or may not have panic disorder. Panic disorder truly does not require four or more symptoms to all be present at the same time. Pure causeless panic and the racing heart beat the panic causes are quite sufficient to indicate panic attack.