Your chest is pounding, your heart is racing, you're sweating and you feel dizzy. You're convinced that you're having a heart attack. At the emergency room, the physician on call treats your symptoms, but informs you that you did not have a heart attack after all. Instead, you had a panic attack, which often causes chest pressure and other symptoms that mimic a heart attack, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Treatment for chest pressure and panic disorder ranges from medication to therapy to self-help relaxation techniques, including support groups.
Medications
Several classes of medication can alleviate or eliminate the symptoms of panic attack, including chest pressure. A physician or psychiatrist may prescribe these medications in addition to therapy, according to MayoClinic.com.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, are antidepressants. SSRIs are often the first choice for treating panic disorder because of the low instance of harmful side effects. Brand names of SSRIs include Prozac, Paxil and Zoloft.
Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, or SNRIs are another class of antidepressants approved for treating panic disorders. Effexor XR is the brand name for the SNRI medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, for panic disorders.
Physicians often administer benzodiazepines, a form of sedative, in the emergency room when treating acute panic attack. Klonopin and Xanax are the FDA-approved benzodiazepine medications for panic disorders. Benzodiazepines may cause physical and mental dependency when taken over time, MayoClinic.com warns.
Therapy
Cognitive therapy is a common treatment for panic disorders. Through cognitive therapy, patients learn to recognize anxiety triggers and decrease their sense of helplessness. Usually 10 to 20 sessions are sufficient to obtain long-term results, according to Medline Plus.
Exposure therapy subjects the patient to deliberate contact with the source of anxiety, either through actual exposure or through guided imagination exercises, according to the Merck Manual Online Medical Library. Repeated exposure to the source of anxiety creates a state of habituation, which means that the person becomes accustomed to having exposure to the anxiety trigger, and the trigger loses its power.
Systematic desensitization combines controlled exposure to anxiety triggers with relaxation exercises to control anxiety symptoms. For example, someone who is afraid of snakes begins the process of systematic desensitization by looking at photos of snakes while practicing relaxation exercises. With each exposure, first to photos, then to live, nonpoisonous snakes, the patient becomes less fearful as she realizes she is in no actual danger, according to Melinda Smith and colleagues, who write for Helpguide.org.
Stress Management
Progressive muscle relaxation focuses on tensing and releasing individual muscles until every muscle in the body is relaxed. Other forms of relaxation include yoga, guided imagery and meditation. Relaxation techniques are often as effective as cognitive therapy in treating panic disorder, MayoClinic.com claims.
Inositol, an over-the-counter nutritional supplement taken orally, may reduce the severity and frequency of panic attacks. Consult with a physician before taking inositol, especially if you are taking other over-the-counter or prescription medications to avoid possible interaction, MayoClinic.com warns.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Panic Attacks and Panic Disorder -- Treatment and Drugs
- Merck Manuals Online Medical Library: Panic Attacks and Panic Disorder
- Medline Plus: Panic Disorder
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Panic Disorder
- MayoClinic.com: Panic Attacks and Panic Disorder -- Alternative Medicine
- MayoClinic.com: Panic Attack and Panic Disorder -- Lifestyle and Home Remedies
