Highlights
- Passing out during a panic attack is possible but rare; most people remain fully conscious even when they feel faint.
- Feeling dizzy or lightheaded during a panic attack is usually caused by hyperventilation and fight-or-flight changes, not a dangerous drop in blood pressure.
- True fainting during intense fear is more often related to vasovagal syncope, which is a medical reflex rather than a panic attack itself.
- Knowing how to slow your breathing and stay physically safe can reduce both panic symptoms and fears about fainting.
If you’ve ever had a panic attack, then you know how scary it can be. Physical symptoms of a panic attack include chest pain or tightness, shortness of breath, and a fast-beating heart. You might also feel dizzy or lightheaded during these episodes, which can be so intense that you wonder if you’re about to pass out.
Even though it can happen, actually passing out from a panic attack is rare. What’s more common is that you feel like you’re about to faint, which can be just as scary.
In this blog, we’ll look at when you might really faint during a panic attack, as well as why you feel dizzy (even if you don’t actually faint) and what steps to take in the moment.
What “Passing Out” Actually Means: Fainting, Blackouts, and Dissociation
First, let’s clarify what, exactly, we mean from a scientific standpoint when we talk about “passing out.”
Fainting (Syncope) vs Feeling Faint
Typically, when people worry about passing out during a panic attack, they’re worried about fainting. Fainting — medically described as syncope — is when you briefly lose consciousness. It happens due to reduced blood flow to the brain.
Many things can cause this, but it usually has to do with a drop in blood pressure. For example, you can faint when you’re severely dehydrated because this makes your blood pressure drop.
Fainting is different from feeling faint or lightheaded. It’s common to feel lightheaded during a panic attack, but most people don’t actually faint (lose consciousness). You’re typically conscious and alert during panic attacks, even though you might feel dizzy or fuzzy.
“Blackouts” During Panic vs Medical Blackouts
Another term that’s often used to describe this experience is a “blackout.” Blackout isn’t a medical term, and people use the word in different ways.
People might say they had a “panic attack blackout” when:
- They experience intense dissociation during the panic attack; they might feel like they (or the world around them) aren’t real or feel detached from reality.
- They can’t remember (or have only a fuzzy memory) what exactly happened during the panic attack — similar to describing a “blackout” when you’re drunk or high.
- They truly lose consciousness and faint. This is rare, but can happen. If you have this type of “blackout” during a panic attack, it’s important to see a healthcare provider as soon as possible. There are likely other medical factors (for example, blood sugar or pressure issues) that could be playing a role.
Can You Pass Out From a Panic or Anxiety Attack?
It’s technically possible to pass out from a panic or anxiety attack, but actually losing consciousness is very rare. It’s more common to feel like you’re going to pass out without actually fainting.
But there are rare situations where anxiety and intense fear can actually cause you to faint.
Vasovagal Syncope (Fear-Triggered Fainting)
In the medical world, this is referred to as
It’s rare to experience vasovagal syncope during a panic attack, but vasovagal syncope itself isn’t that rare.
Typically, people who experience vasovagal syncope are unconscious for under a minute. These episodes tend to look similar to seizures. You might lose control of your bladder, twitch, and be disoriented when you regain consciousness. It can be very scary, but it’s almost never dangerous.
On top of overwhelming stress or anxiety, other things that can cause vasovagal syncope include:
- Seeing or feeling needles, like at a blood draw
- Seeing blood
- Being severely exhausted
- Being in severe pain
Vasovagal syncope is not the same thing as a panic attack. A panic attack is a mental health condition that causes symptoms like shortness of breath, chest pain, and a feeling of being out of control. Vasovagal syncope usually feels like it comes out of nowhere, and it’s a medical issue that involves your vagus nerve (although it can be linked to strong emotions).
But some people can experience both at the same time. For example, if you tend to have panic attacks around needles, then you might also experience a loss of consciousness due to vasovagal syncope. But you can also experience one without the other.
It’s also worth noting that around
Other Medical Contributors
On top of your autonomic nervous system, there are other systems in your body that can contribute to fainting. These aren’t directly related to panic attacks, but they can make you more likely to faint during stress (like during a panic attack).
Some factors include:
- Dehydration
- Low blood sugar (either due to a metabolic condition like diabetes or from not eating enough)
- Heart disease or heart rhythm problems
- Low blood pressure
Some of these factors can play an indirect role in how panic attacks can lead to fainting. For example, you might be less likely to nourish yourself with hydration and meals if you live with an anxiety disorder. Some anxiety medications (like beta-blockers) can lower your blood pressure.
Most people don’t pass out during panic attacks. If you do, then it’s possible that one of these medical factors is playing a role. It’s important to get it checked out as soon as possible so your provider can rule out other health conditions that might be causing you to faint.
Why Panic Attacks Make You Feel Like You’re About to Pass Out
More often, panic attacks make you feel like you’re about to pass out. You might feel dizzy or lightheaded. This is a common experience for people who go through panic attacks.
Fight-or-Flight Changes
When you’re having a panic attack, your body is in fight-or-flight. Your nervous system believes you’re in danger, and your stress response is activated. It pumps your body full of hormones like adrenaline and cortisol, which leads to automatic physical changes. Evolutionarily, our bodies do this to protect us from potential threats.
For example:
- Your heart starts beating faster and harder to pump more blood to your muscles and brain
- Your senses get sharper
- You start breathing faster to get more oxygen to your brain and body
These automatic functions can often cause you to feel “tingly” or light-headed. You might feel like you’re going to pass out.
But usually, these very sensations are protecting you from losing consciousness. Fainting happens from low blood pressure and the loss of blood flow to the brain. But typically, panic attacks increase your heart rate and blood pressure. So it’s very rare to actually lose consciousness.
Hyperventilation and Breathing Changes
One of the most common causes of feeling like you’re going to pass out during a panic attack is due to the changes in your breathing. When you have a panic attack, it’s common to start
Evolutionarily, this helped us get more oxygen to our systems to fight (or flee from) threats. But it also leads to too much oxygen in your brain, especially if you’re hyperventilating for a long time. This causes CO₂ levels to plummet, and the blood vessels in your brain to constrict.
As a result, you’re likely to feel extremely lightheaded or dizzy. You might experience blurry vision or have a tingly sensation, especially in your fingers and toes. It’s scary, but it’s rare for this dizziness to actually lead to fainting.
Sensory Overload and Anxiety Focus
It’s also possible that anxiety is making you hyperfocus on the sensations you’re feeling in your body. Because you’re in fight-or-flight, you might be hyperaware of everything your body is doing. When you experience dizziness or blurred vision because of hyperventilation, you take it as a sign that you’re about to faint. You might experience chest pain or feel like you can’t breathe.
This can make you feel even more panicked, which makes your symptoms worse. It’s common for people to feel out of control during panic attacks or even that they’re about to die. This intense fear can make you feel like you’re going to lose consciousness.
What to Do If You Feel Like You Might Pass Out
When you’re having a panic or anxiety attack and feel like you’re going to pass out, it’s important to know what to do to keep yourself safe. Feeling anxious about the possibility of passing out can actually intensify panic symptoms, which makes both dizziness and fear worse.
First Priority: Stay Safe
Although it’s rare, there’s no guarantee that you won’t actually pass out during a panic attack. So the most critical thing if you feel this way is to take immediate action to keep yourself physically safe.
- Sit or lie down in a safe place. If you’re driving, pull over immediately. Don’t try to walk anywhere, and stay far away from stairs or ledges. Put your head down if possible.
- Loosen your clothing, especially around your chest and neck, so that you can breathe properly. For example, if your pants are too tight, unbutton them.
- Tell someone nearby that you think you may faint. They can call emergency services for you if it becomes necessary.
- If you’ve received a medical evaluation and have been diagnosed with low blood pressure, then consuming salt can sometimes help. But it’s important not to make assumptions about what could be causing these sensations.
Steady Your Breathing
People often feel faint during panic attacks because they’re hyperventilating. Too much oxygen in your system can make your blood vessels constrict and make you feel dizzy or lightheaded. One of the fastest ways to deal with this is to slow down your breathing.
This corrects the balance between oxygen and CO₂ in your brain. It also helps your nervous system calm down which can help reduce the panic attack symptoms directly.
It’s rare to experience vasovagal syncope during a panic attack, but vasovagal syncope itself isn’t that rare.
Grounding and Re-Orienting
Once you feel safe and less dizzy, try grounding techniques to break the cycle of panic. Focusing too much on worst-case scenarios can make panic worse, which can then make you feel even dizzier.
You might be having thoughts like, “I’m going to faint. I might even die. There’s nothing I can do to prevent it.” Understandably, these thoughts can be terrifying. After you’ve calmed your breathing, focus on using affirmations to counteract the irrational thinking patterns. For example, you might have a mantra you repeat to yourself, like: “I’m safe. This feeling will pass.”
It can also help to ground yourself in other physical sensations to take your focus away from being too hyperaware of the dizzy feeling. For example, pick up different items around you and focus on how they feel in your hand. Or close your eyes and try to focus on the different sounds you can hear around you.
After the Episode: Check Basic Needs
After you feel safe and stable, make sure you take care of yourself and meet your basic needs.
- Drink some water. Dehydration can contribute to both dizziness as well as actually fainting.
- Get rest. Having a panic attack is exhausting and scary, even if you didn’t faint.
- Eat a nourishing meal, especially if you haven’t eaten in some time. Make sure you don’t eat too quickly so that your blood sugar doesn’t spike.
- Check on your other health conditions and symptoms. For example, if you live with diabetes, check your insulin levels.
- Contact your healthcare provider, especially if you haven’t yet ruled out other causes for the dizziness. They can let you know whether further testing is needed and help you understand what’s driving these symptoms.
Long-Term Ways to Reduce Panic Attacks and Fainting Fears
You’re unlikely to actually faint during a panic attack. But that doesn’t mean that panic attacks are any less uncomfortable and frightening in their own right. You don’t need to faint to get support. Panic attacks (and panic disorder) are a serious mental health condition, but the good news is that most people feel better with treatment.
Some options available to you include:
- Therapy: For panic attacks, therapy usually involves helping you reframe the catastrophizing and unhelpful thoughts that keep you locked in the cycle of panic. Therapists can also teach you specific skills and strategies you can use to reduce panic in the moment. The most helpful therapy method for panic disorder is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT).
- Medication: Medications can also be very helpful in quickly reducing panic symptoms in the moment. They can also help improve your mood and reduce anxiety over time so that you’re less likely to have panic attacks. Medications are usually recommended for people who have repeated panic attacks.
It can also help to practice basic self-care, although this can’t replace professional anxiety treatment. Exercise regularly, manage stress levels, and try your best to get enough sleep every night. These seem like simple actions, but they can make you significantly less likely to experience panic attacks to begin with.
When to See a Doctor
Whether you faint or not, you deserve to get support for panic attacks. If anxiety or panic symptoms are getting in the way of your quality of life — like not being able to have the social life you want or if it’s affecting your work life — then it’s worthwhile to talk to a healthcare provider to go over your treatment options.
If you’ve fainted and you’re not sure if it was due to a panic attack or something else, then see a medical provider as soon as you can. There are many different underlying health conditions that can cause you to faint, including metabolic and neurological conditions. It’s important to rule these out so that you can get to the root of what’s happening.
Get Online Panic Attack Treatment With MEDvidi
Passing out during a panic attack is possible, but it’s very rare. Most people remain fully conscious, even when panic symptoms cause intense dizziness and lightheadedness. These sensations are usually driven by fight-or-flight changes and hyperventilation rather than a dangerous drop in blood pressure.
Whether or not you’re fainting during panic attacks, you deserve support. And mental health treatment can help. MEDvidi can help you connect with licensed medical providers online so you can receive a treatment plan for anxiety online — all tailored to your needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you die from a panic attack?
How long do panic attacks last?
Is it normal to pass out when having a panic attack?
Is fainting a common feature of panic attacks?
Can you blank out during a panic attack?
Can a panic attack cause a blackout?
What should you do if someone passes out during a panic attack?
What should you do after fainting during a panic attack?
What’s the difference between a panic attack and an anxiety attack?
What’s the difference between a panic attack and a heart attack?
Panic attacks cause distressing symptoms without damaging the heart (even though it can feel like you’re having a heart attack). Heart attacks involve blocked blood flow and require urgent medical care. If you think you may be having a heart attack, seek medical help immediately.
