Signs of an Anxiety Attack

Overview

Anxiety attacks, also known as panic attacks, are periods of intense panic or fear. Anxiety attacks are categorized under the classification of panic disorder by the National Institute of Mental Health.

According to the Anxiety Disorders Association of America (ADAA), over 6 million people suffer from panic disorder. The number could be higher, since people often mistake symptoms of anxiety attacks for other health conditions like heart attacks.

Age and Gender

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), anxiety attacks are twice as common in women as men. Also according to the NIMH, anxiety attacks typically begin in late adolescence or early adulthood.

Episodes

Anxiety attacks can occur out of the blue without any signs. Many people can even experience anxiety attacks during their sleep. In some cases, it's not until you recognize some of the symptoms before you realize that you are having an anxiety attack. These anxiety attacks can last from 10 to 30 minutes, but symptoms can possibly last longer.

Physical Symptoms

The following are the most common physical symptoms of an anxiety attack: tingling sensation, chills, flushed, nausea, stomach discomfort, dizziness, lightheadedness, heart palpitations, sweating, trembling, shortness of breath and chest pains.

Other Symptoms

In addition to physical symptoms, individuals may experience the following mental and emotional symptoms: feelings of imminent danger, a need to escape, feeling smothered, feeling like you are choking, feeling surreal, fears of going crazy, fears of losing control and fears of dying.

Triggers

Since anxiety attacks can come out of the blue, it's important to know what triggers these attacks. Being afraid of something is the greatest trigger for anxiety attacks. This initial fear can trigger an anxiety attack, which is essentially an episode of extremely intense fear, and become a seemingly endless cycle of panic. Some common fear triggers are fear of public places, being in confined places like an elevator and the fear of dying.

In addition to fear, there are several medical conditions that can trigger anxiety attacks, including depression, stress, substance abuse, other anxiety disorders and asthma.