Anxiety attack symptoms

Anxiety is a nasty illness. It can cause problems with your digestive system, your mental and emotional status and with your relationships. It can also cause terrifying episodes that involve an involuntary loss of bodily control and heart palpitations. These attacks are called anxiety attacks.

Anxiety attacks are one of the most confusing and frightening anxiety related illnesses. Often, because the symptoms of an anxiety attack are sudden, extreme and resemble those of a heart attack, many sufferers believe that they are, indeed, suffering a heart attack and run to the emergency room. The first thing you need to know about anxiety is that there is nothing wrong with visiting an emergency room if you suspect at all that you are suffering a heart attack.

One of the best ways to discern if you are suffering a heart attack or an anxiety attack is to learn about the symptoms. If you are able to differentiate between the symptoms of a heart attack and an anxiety attack, you can take the right steps to reduce your anxiety. To help you attempt to understand the anxiety attack symptoms you may be experiencing here is a list of them:

Heart Palpitations: Anxiety can strike you at any moment. Because it flares up so quickly and in such extremes, the heart palpitations are extremely concerning. During an anxiety attack, your heart will begin beating very quickly. Sometimes, you can feel it thumping against your chest so strongly, it feels like it will break. When this happens, it’s best if you safely stop what you are doing, sit or lie down in a quiet place where you can relax, and try to control your breathing. Breathe deeply and slowly until your heart calms down.

Shortness of Breath: One of the more frustrating anxiety attack symptoms is shortness of breath. When you combine it with heart palpitations, it can feel like your entire world is closing in on you. When you experience shortness of breath, it will seem like you can’t take deep breaths. The only thing you will be able to do is take in short, shallow breaths. In order to get back in control of your breathing, you must move yourself to a calm area and try to relax. As you relax, begin to attempt deeper and deeper breaths until you start breathing normally again.

Sweating: One of the most visible anxiety attack symptoms is heavy sweating. As your anxiety attack progresses and you become anxious about the anxiety attack, you will start sweating. Your skin may be cool to the touch and you may even feel chilled. But you will sweat. As you calm down, you notice the sweating decreasing.

Jaw Pain: When you are under stress, you may have a tendency to clench your jaw and grind your teeth. Whether or not this is the case, you may find that during or after an anxiety attack you have a sore jaw. The best thing you can do is try to consciously relax your jaw.

Sometimes anxiety attacks are the result of a temporary problem—like stresses at work or financial issues. Other times, anxiety attack symptoms are caused by a continuing anxiety disorder that has no situational cause or foundation. If you are dealing with an anxiety disorder that can’t be dealt with by reducing stress or removing yourself from a stressful situation, you should visit your doctor immediately. There are many prescription medications that can help reduce your anxiety attack symptoms and help you gain control of your life. Until you get the proper medications, you should consider giving up caffeine to hopefully reduce the symptoms.

[quote|tags=anxiety,depression]

Last updated on Jul 6th, 2009 and filed under Mental Health. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Comments are closed