What Are the Panic Attacks?

A panic attack is characterized by unexpected episodes of intense fear, accompanied by physical symptoms which include chest pains, palpitations, sweating, dizziness, intense heart beat, nausea and so on. These sensations are similar to the ones of a heart attack – a fact which scares the patients even more. Many patients who suffer from these panic attacks also experiment anxiety attacks between the panic episodes. It is usual that these persons develop these attacks in the same places or situations, as a respond to frightening, yet imaginary factors.

Who Is Suffering From Panic Attacks?

Panic attacks are very rampant. In fact, almost 2 % of the world population has suffered a panic or an anxiety attack at least once in their lifetime. The patients who suffer from panic attacks range in ages, although these disorders tend to appear at young adults (generally between 23 and 33 years old) and if not treated, they might continue to develop. Also, women are the targets of these panic attacks much more frequently then man – a fact which certifies the existence of a genetical cause that leads to the appearance of this disorder.

Which Are the Main Types of Panic Attacks?

The causes which are leading to panic disorders are numerous and varied. First of all, it must be said that these causes have 2 natures: a genetical and biological one and a mental or psychological one.

Which are the Genetic and Biological Causes of Panic Attacks?

Many patients present a family history with panic attacks or various panic and anxiety disorders. It is a fact that people who have in their family people who present phobias, obsessive stress, depression, neurosis and other such disorders might develop much easier a certain type of psychological disorder. Moreover, there are some patients who have a genetical predisposition to emotional unbalances or disorders. Other specialists claim that there is a connection between the existence of a biological malfunction and the occurrence of a panic attack.

In many cases, the persons who are suffering from panic attacks are born with physiological irritability and they manifest their fear even as children. Their parents do not see their fear as serious symptom, as children are usually afraid of new or unusual situations – in this case, the anxiety tends to develop and leads to panic attacks.

Which are the Psychological Causes of Panic Attacks?

There are some patients who suffered panic attacks and who don’t suffer from a more complex disorder, which implies panic and anxiety, nor present a family history with panic or anxiety disorders. The causes for their panic attacks are mostly traumas (these attacks can appear during and after a trauma), which are connected to death, loss, accidents, violence, bad experiences, recent separation and other stressful events.

What are the Risks that These Causes Imply?

Many patients experience confusing panic and anxiety attack symptoms and interpret many situations as frightening. For example, some patient’s present intense heartbeats when having an attack – but they also present this symptom right after drinking coffee. In this case, the patient associates the sensation with an attack and the body responds with more symptoms, such as fear, terror, sweating, shivering, chocking and so on. This fact shows the risk of the panic attacks – they can be produced anywhere and in any circumstances. Even though these attacks are not an actual health threat for the patient (as nothing wrong can occur), the patient considers them frightening and terrifying situations. This is why a proper treatment is necessary in order to avoid the further occurrence of these disorders and to eliminate their initial causes.