Anxiety Attack Symptoms and How To Alleviate Them

How do you know you are having an Anxiety Attack, and how can you minimize the symptoms? Firstly we must understand what an anxiety attack is. An Anxiety attack can often be a traumatic and scary experience. It often involves a period of sudden and intense fear or discomfort, typically with an abrupt onset and usually lasting for no more than 10 minutes. Often a person can experience a panic attack suddenly without particular reason. The majority of people who do experience anxiety or panic attacks will usually experience another attack, and those who have recurring attacks, or feel severe anxiety about having another are said to have panic disorder.

Symptoms of a panic or anxiety attack are intense heartbeat, difficulty with breathing, palpitation, feeling sick, excessive sweating and trembling, chest pains, fearful of going crazy or about to die, sudden chills, and the like. Some people experience many of these common symptoms, some completely different ones but this does not mean that their condition is far worse or that you are suffering from a different undiagnosed condition. Because we are all different, the symptoms during anxiety attacks can vastly vary. You might not find among the common anxiety attack symptoms what you are experiencing and it may be tempting to think something is very wrong with you. The above list is just a guide only, as everyone reacts differently.

Anxiety attack may affect your quality of life if not given treatment immediately. As a human being, it is normal that we feel anxiety, worry and fear occasionally due to the things that our complicated lives bring. Anxiety is just a part of life. It helps us cope with the stresses we may encounter. If you are in a state of anxiety on a regular basis, it is likely that you are experiencing anxiety attacks.

An anxiety attack is a sudden wave of overwhelming fear that comes suddenly and without any apparent reason, and importantly it is far more intense than having normal anxiety or the feeling of being stressed. It is said that up to one in every 75 people will experience an anxiety attack at one point in their life.

A common feeling among sufferers of Anxiety is one of impending death, going crazy or loss of control. The incidents generally provoke a strong urge to escape or run away from the place where the attack begins, and they can often occur at the same time as chest pain or shortness of breath.

If someone is suffering from a phobia, for example fear of heights, an anxiety attack can occur after the phobia is triggered. Generally these anxiety attacks are brief and quickly relieved once the trigger is escaped. In the conditions of chronic anxiety, one anxiety attack can usually turn into another one, leading to a prolonged feeling of fatigue lasting many days.

The length of time an anxiety attack lasts can vary hugely, but often it will only last for a few minutes and is considered one of the most upsetting conditions that anyone can live through in everyday life. The step-by-step onset of anxiety generally follows the same pattern: first, comes the sudden jolt of fear with less or no triggering motivation, and then this will lead to a release of adrenaline (epinephrine), which causes the supposed fight-or-flight response, where the persons body prepares for major physical activity. This will cause an increased heart rate, labored breathing or hyperventilation, and sweating. The diaphragm, involved in the action of the lungs, is also a muscle and it can become overly tight. If someone suffers from normal anxiety they often work too hard when breathing. However, if there is hyperanxiety or an anxiety attack, there is overwhelming excitement, and a person may hyperventilate.

Because strenuous activity hardly ever arises, this hyperventilation leads to carbon dioxide levels lowering in the lungs and then the blood, resulting to the shift in the pH of the blood, which will then lead to many of the other symptoms, such as tingling or numbness, dizziness, and lightheadedness.

Anxiety attack is a serious condition, but before you start thinking you have this condition and go running to see a doctor, stop and stay calm. Relax before you start having an anxiety attack. Dont start worrying unduly that it may lead to something serious and may affect your daily routine. Take things slowly. In any case, if you think you have this condition, the first thing you should do is see a doctor. If you are diagnosed with anxiety attack condition, appropriate medication and good counseling can bring your life to normal again. If you do not have anxiety disorder you should accept occasionally you will feel anxiety, but this is natural and healthy.

Article Source: http://publisherscloninghouse.com

For more Anxiety and Panic articles by Anne Girder, visit Anxiety.health-alternative-life.com. For additional information about Anne and Anxiety Disorder visit www.squidoo.com/anxiety-attack-symptoms-explained/

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