Highlights
- The symptoms of panic attacks like a fast heartbeat, shortness of breath, and chest pain happen because of the body’s fight-or-flight response. These strong physical reactions can feel similar to a heart attack.
- Along with the physical symptoms, people often feel afraid of dying, have a sense of doom, or worry about losing control during a panic attack.
- Even though panic attacks feel scary, they are not life-threatening. However they can be harmful in other ways including functional or social impairment.
- Panic attacks are often a sign of an underlying anxiety disorder.
A
This article will help you understand panic attacks, why they feel life-threatening (and whether they actually are), and how to manage them.
Can You Die From an Anxiety or Panic Attack?
It’s understandable to feel scared when experiencing panic attacks because of strong physical reactions and
- A racing heart, forceful heartbeat, or chest pain
- Feeling short of breath, being choked, or suffocated
- Sweating, flushing, chills, or heat sensations
- Feeling dizzy, off-balance, or lightheaded
- Numbness or pins-and-needles
But even though they feel dangerous, panic attacks alone can’t kill you. In fact, there aren’t any published statistics on the panic attack death rate.
Why Do Panic Attacks Feel So Dangerous?
The intense
Are There Any Long-Term Health Risks?
Physical Health Risks
While a panic attack itself won’t kill you, there is some evidence that frequent panic attacks and
Mental Health Risks
The psychological symptoms of a panic attack are anxiety-driven and fear-based: fear of dying, fear of losing control, or fear of going “crazy”. So, it makes sense that panic attacks can impact mental health; people who experience panic attacks may start to fear having another one, causing a vicious cycle that might lead to a diagnosis of panic disorder.
Potentially worsened heart issues, altered gut microbiota, and mental health complications are some of the possible consequences of untreated panic attacks. Also, sadly, the
When to Seek Medical Help
Because panic attacks can present like life-threatening conditions, you should immediately go to the ER in the following cases:
- If you have panic attack symptoms that require urgent evaluation to rule out medical causes:
- Chest pain or discomfort
- Trouble breathing
- Dizziness or fainting
- If you are worried and need reassurance.
You should also seek professional help if you have thoughts of physical harm to yourself or others, panic attacks that are frequent or severe, or if they disrupt any area of your daily life.
Is It a Panic Attack or a Heart Attack?
When you add physical symptoms like shortness of breath, chest pain, numbness, and dizziness, it’s easy to mistake a panic attack for something life-threatening, such as a heart attack, blood clot, or stroke. There are a few things to remember:
- If you have a panic attack, the pain is stabbing and stays in the chest. If it’s a heart attack, pain feels like pressure or squeezing. Note that patients with both panic attacks and heart attacks may feel their pain radiating to an arm or neck.
- Heart attacks are usually related to physical exertion but can also happen at rest. Panic attacks usually happen because of emotional reasons (or unexpectedly).
- Panic attacks peak within minutes and resolve quickly while heart attacks may worsen either suddenly or gradually and tend to persist.
During a panic attack, stress triggers the body’s fight-or-flight response, leading to physiological responses. In contrast, in fatal physical illnesses, symptoms are caused by reduced blood supply to the heart, lungs, or brain.
Only a healthcare provider can make a diagnosis. If you have severe symptoms, unusual sensations, or any other doubts and concerns regarding your health, see a medical professional immediately.
How to Cope During a Panic Attack
If you think you’re having a panic or anxiety attack, here are a few effective coping strategies to try while you get to a doctor:
- Don’t fight the fear and symptoms. Remember that, although it’s frightening, it’s just your body’s protective response.
- Slow the fight-or-flight response with deep breathing: inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, exhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, and repeat 4 times.
- Focus on what’s happening around you (this is also known as grounding), for example, by counting backwards from 1000 or naming the blue objects in the room.
- Try this relaxation technique: tense your shoulders for 5 seconds, then let them fall, as if a heavy coat is sliding down your arms.
- Remind yourself that the panic attack will end soon, typically within 20 to 30 minutes.
These strategies can help reduce your symptoms and ease the feeling of impending doom.
Treatment and Prevention of Panic Attacks
Thankfully, there are effective options for treating panic attacks and panic disorder; your mental health professional may recommend therapy, medication, or both, on top of lifestyle changes.
Start keeping a journal to identify triggers that increase your anxiety, and then you can do something about them. Next, ensure your brain and body are in tip-top health by eating a balanced diet, sleeping enough, and getting regular exercise.
When it comes to talk therapy, your therapist will help you rewire your nervous system, replacing negative thought patterns with neutral or positive ones. This changes how your body and brain feel and respond to those thoughts.
Medication may also be part of your treatment plan for anxiety disorder, if your doctor thinks it’s right for you:
- Panic disorder is a
type of anxiety disorder[6] , and the baseline medications used are antidepressants. These include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). They can take 6 to 8 weeks to control symptoms. - While waiting for antidepressants to work, doctors might prescribe short-acting anti-anxiety medications for temporary relief, including benzodiazepines, which can reduce stress, anxiety, and panic quicker. These can also be prescribed without antidepressants.
- Beta-blockers can help prevent the physical symptoms of panic by blocking the effects of stress hormones released during the fight-or-flight response.
Myths and Misconceptions About Panic Attacks
Let’s clear up some common myths and misconceptions about panic attacks, which often come from misunderstanding and stigma.
Myth #1. They are signs of weakness or poor control
Panic disorder and panic attacks are not caused by character flaws, lack of willpower, or overreacting. Instead,
- A family history
- Differing brain chemistry
- Situations out of the person’s control, for example, trauma and childhood experiences
Myth #2. They last hours
On average, panic attacks last
Myth #3. No treatment is needed
Getting diagnosed and treating panic attacks is important to prevent future mental health problems and other issues in daily life.
Myth #4. They cause permanent damage
Even though symptoms like numbness and chest pain can be frightening, and frequent panic attacks can have certain long-term health consequences, they don’t cause permanent organ damage.
Myth #5. They always lead to fainting
During a panic attack, blood pressure usually goes up, so fainting is rare. Dizziness and lightheadedness are much more common; and if you faint, it’s usually due to hyperventilation.
Conclusion
Panic attacks are not deadly but they are distressing and often they point towards an underlying anxiety disorder that needs management. The good news is that anxiety disorders are treatable, so it’s important to see a healthcare provider for evaluation and personalized recommendations. MEDvidi’s team can provide online support for anxiety; book an appointment today to get help in 24 hours.
FAQs
Can panic attacks be fatal?
Can anxiety cause feelings of death?
Can you live long with anxiety?
Anxiety itself shouldn’t impact how long you live; however, it may affect your quality of life, and therefore it is essential to be diagnosed and treated.
Can anxiety attacks be life-threatening?
How harmful are panic attacks?
Panic attacks aren’t harmful or life-threatening. However, if they are not diagnosed and treated, they can impact quality of life, cause suicidal thoughts, substance abuse, and increase the risk of heart issues.
