Panic Attack

Definition of Panic Attack:

A brief, irrational episode of fear that is perceived as so real that an individual may be driven to escape from the place or situation where it occurs.  The attack is sudden and increases in severity until it leaves, usually within ten minutes.  Panic attack symptoms are numerous and involve both mental and physical signs and symptoms.  A panic attack can occur in other anxiety states such as agoraphobia and with certain activities and places.  It may occur spontaneously without an apparent cause.

Also: Panic Attacks

Topics Related to Panic Attack

Addictions / Addictive Tendencies

...the condition
“...Do not use if taking a PKU, or if you are pregnant or nursing, suffer from panic attacks, diabetes, or high blood pressure...”

Anxiety

...the condition
“...In people with chronic anxiety unrelated to life events, an injection of sodium lactate will trigger a panic attack.  Eating a lot of foods high in refined sugar increases blood lactate levels and can induce panic in susceptible persons...”
...relationship to Low Adrenal Function / Adrenal Insufficiency
“Adrenal insufficiency can lead to a host of problems, including a weakened immune response, anxiety and panic attacks.”
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More topics Related to Panic Attack

Aspartame (Nutrasweet) Avoidance

...as a treatment
“...or caused by chronic intake), memory loss (common toxicity effect), slurring of speech, confusion, numbness or tingling of extremities, chronic fatigue, depression, insomnia, irritability, panic attacks (common aspartame toxicity reaction), marked personality changes, phobias, rapid heart beat (tachycardia – another frequent reaction), asthma, chest pains, hypertension (high blood...”

Calming / Stretching Exercises

...as a treatment
“...It works in a fashion exactly opposite to the sympathetic branch of your nervous system, which stimulates a state of emotional arousal and the very physiological reactions underlying a panic attack.  There is a greater sense of connectedness between mind and body...”

Erectile Dysfunction (ED, Impotence)

...recommendation Yohimbe
“...With the possibility of serious side-effects such as anxiety, panic attacks, hallucinations, elevated blood pressure and heart rate and dizziness, yohimbe bark has been classified by the FDA as an unsafe herb...”

Excessive Sweating

...the condition
“...Other people may have sweating as a symptom of known medical conditions, such as ... psychiatric disorders such as stress, panic attacks or anxiety disorders...”

Exhaustion Caused By Emotional Upsets

...the condition
“...It affects many people, especially women, making them susceptible to panic attacks, nervous breakdowns, depression and, in some cases, suicide...”

Inositol

...as a treatment
“...Serotonin and acetylcholine, two neurotransmitters, both depend upon inositol, and supplementation can therefore assist in the reduction of depression and panic attacks.  A reduction in brain inositol levels may induce depression as evidenced by low inositol levels in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with depression...”

Low Adrenal Function / Adrenal Insufficiency

...relationship to Panic Attacks
“When adrenal function is low, caffeine consumption may contribute to panic attacks.  Caffeine interferes with adenosine, a brain chemical that normally has a calming effect, and raises the level of lactate, a biochemical known to produce panic attacks.”
...relationship to Weakened Immune System
“Adrenal insufficiency can lead to a host of problems, including a weakened immune response, anxiety and panic attacks.”

Mitral Valve Prolapse

...the condition
“...It is believed by some that the mitral valve abnormality is a physical trait that is a marker of an underlying condition – autonomic instability – that contributes to symptoms and can trigger panic attacks.  Women are far more likely than men to be diagnosed with mitral valve prolapse...”
...relationship to Panic Attacks
“...the symptoms themselves are scary, and the fear of the unknown can prompt an even greater release of stress hormones, driving them into the kind of meltdown of the autonomic nervous system called a panic attack.  This is an intense and scary experience, the sensations of which can easily be confused with those of a heart attack...”
...recommendation Visualization/Relaxation Techniques
“Techniques to block the feedback loops that can lead to panic attacks or hyperventilation can be learned and practiced to break the cycle of escalating symptoms...”

Nervous Breakdown Tendency

...the condition
“...They may also be "panic attacks", the hot new malady that is quickly replacing depression as the mental illness of choice...”

Panic Attacks

...the condition
“...The attacks – called panic attacks – can last from minutes to hours...”
...relationship to Progesterone Low or Estrogen Dominance
“It has been reported that women with low progesterone levels experience less intense or less frequent panic attacks after progesterone supplementation...”
...relationship to EFA (Essential Fatty Acid) Type 3 Requirement
“In one study, 3 out of 4 patients with panic attacks or a history of agoraphobia for 10 or more years improved within 3 months after taking flaxseed oil.”
...relationship to Cigarette Smoke Damage
“...Current smoking prevalence was also higher in those patients with panic attack versus controls (40% vs...”
...relationship to Chronic Thyroiditis
“Hashimoto's autoimmune thyroiditis has been associated with a range of anxiety symptoms including panic attack.”
...recommendation Visualization/Relaxation Techniques
“Types of behavioral therapy involving counter-conditioning treatment of fear responses have helped to abort panic attacks.”
...recommendation Alkalizing Agents/Diet
“For people with chronic anxiety unrelated to life events, injection of an acid such as sodium lactate can trigger a panic attack.”
...recommendation Caffeine/Coffee Avoidance
“Coffee can cause adrenal insufficiency which in turn can lead to panic attacks.”
...recommendation Test Estrogen Level
“There has been research showing an association of panic attacks with decreased levels of estrogen in women.”
...recommendation Test Thyroid Function
“Hashimoto's autoimmune thyroiditis has been associated with a range of anxiety symptoms including panic attack.”
...recommendation Sunlight Exposure
“A study found that 9 of 22 patients had panic attacks more frequently in winter.”
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More topics Related to Panic Attack

Panic Disorder

...related topic
“A condition whereby an affected individual has recurrent and unexpected panic attacks and worries a great deal of the time about having another...”

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

...the condition
“...Sometimes persons with PTSD will have panic attacks accompanied by shortness of breath and chest pain...”
...our question about Panic attacks
“Sometimes persons with PTSD will have panic attacks accompanied by shortness of breath and chest pain.”

Seizure Disorder

...the condition
“...Disorders that may cause symptoms resembling seizures include transient ischemic attacks, rage or panic attacks, and any disorder that causes loss of consciousness or that causes tremors or tics as symptoms (abnormal muscle movements that are not caused by abnormal brain electrical activity)...”
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