Panic Attacks Panic Attacks

A panic attack is characterized by an acute, brief period of extreme anxiety accompanied by physical symptoms. In panic attacks, anxiety is triggered by specific situations and the anxiety is out of proportion to the actual situation. Women are twice as likely as men to have panic attacks and panic disorder (discussed below).

During a panic attack, a person experiences the sudden onset of multiple symptoms, including chest pain, dizziness or faintness, choking, fear of dying or of losing control, flushes or chills, nausea, stomachache, diarrhea, tingling sensations, palpitations, shortness of breath, sweating, and trembling. Panic attack symptoms usually peak within 10 minutes and resolve quickly. People who experience frequent panic attacks anticipate or worry about having another panic attack, and they avoid places where they have experienced previous panic attacks.

Isolated panic attacks are relatively common. Recurrent panic attacks suggest a diagnosis of panic disorder, which is characterized by more spontaneous, unprovoked panic attacks. Panic disorder is defined by at least 2 unprovoked and unexpected panic attacks followed by at least 1 month of anxiety that another panic attack will occur. Panic disorder affects slightly under 2% of adults in the United States. The frequency of panic attacks in a person with panic disorder varies. Some people have panic attacks daily or weekly over a period of months; others have several panic attacks daily followed by weeks or months of remission.

Panic attack symptoms can lead a person to worry that a serious medical problem exists. Panic attacks can cause a great deal of discomfort.

Related Conditions

• Agoraphobia
• Depression
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder
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