Anxiety Attacks

Anxiety Attack Symptoms

If you have ever experienced an panic or anxiety attacks, then you know how quick and intense the sensation of fear can be. It may appear as though they can occur for no real reason, the truth is that they are the body’s inherent response to something that it perceives to be harmful or dangerous.

The attacks usually last about ten minutes, but can be as short as one minute. In severe cases, these attacks can happen in cycles. These cycles may last for extended periods. They can also make a person feel a strong sense of nervous anticipation between each occurrence.

Physical symptoms of anxiety attacks generally include shortness of breath, heart palpitations and sweating. Tingling and numbness in the extremities, dizziness, lightheadedness, headaches and nausea are also commonly experienced. This is the bodies way of fighting back and protecting itself from what it perceives to be a threat to it.

Sudden feelings of fear can often be one of the key triggers for anxiety attacks. In response, the body releases adrenaline followed by increases in the heart and breathing rate and production of sweat (to regulate body temperature). These actions prepare the body for the physical activities of fighting or escaping. Because the anticipated strenuous activity rarely follows the panic attack, these reactions result in physical discomfort.

The increased heart rate is felt as heart palpitations. Rapid breathing (hyperventilation) results in a drop in carbon dioxide levels in the lungs and blood. This leads to the tingling, numbness, dizziness and lightheadedness. The adrenaline causes a narrowing of the blood vessels which results in less blood flow to the head. After understanding the causes and symptoms of anxiety attacks, you should learn to breathe properly if an attack occurs, which will help you to take steps in controlling them; you owe it to yourself to learn ways to do this and get to the root of the problem!