Panic Symptoms

The most common Panic Attack Symptoms

First, it is important to understand that you should always consult your doctor for a diagnosis. Never self diagnose, since the panic attack symptoms are common in a variety of different physical conditions.

Nevertheless, it can also be of great value to know the most common symptoms, since not understanding the way your body reacts can add to the anxiety.

A panic attack can best be described as an out of control version of the bodys natural "Fight and Flight" response. This is the natural response for humans and animals alike, when encounting danger. The body goes into an emergency-state that puts all senses at full alert to maximize our chances of survival. These include an increase in heart rate, and faster breathing, to increase our oxygen levels. Our muscles grow tenser and we begin to perspire.

You may also experice tingling feelings your body, dizziness, sensitivity to light and sound. The tensing of muscles and your increased breathing can result in headaches, muscle pain and hyperventilation or a choking sensation.

Often, panic attacks are associated with feelings of fear. This can be a fear of dying, of going insane or even of making a fool of yourself. These fears are usually out of place and bear no relation to your actual situation. Also, after a panic attack, or during periods of great anxiety, the mere fear of a panic attack can be what eventually leads to one.

While knowing all of these symptoms you are more adept at being able to control the fear, but it is still vital to stress the fact that you should not ever self diagnose. Any, or all, of these symptoms can be found in other conditions and a person with panic disorder can also be without some of them.