What is the difference between a panic attack heart symptom and symptoms associated with a heart attack? Although some of the underlying symptoms are similar, there are some very important differences.
A heart attack will not cause you to breathe at a rapid pace.
The pain experienced during cardiac arrest can be described as a "crushing" type pain as though something was pressing down on your chest.
The pain will radiate out to the left arm and the pain lasts but is not made worse by breathing.
In the case of a panic attack, pain is often described as sharp and localized over the heart.
This pain will only last between five and ten minutes.
Rapid breathing, fighting for breath and hyperventilation are common with this type of attack.
Anxiety attacks may be similar, but usually they do not occur as rapidly, there is a build-up.
A panic attack comes on suddenly and overcomes a person with such terror that they will think they are about to die.
The truth is that, generally speaking, these types of attacks are not dangerous.
Heart related attacks are, of course, and it is important to seek medical attention immediately if you think you are in cardiac arrest.
Sometimes a panic attack heart symptom is mistaken for one another by the sufferer; however, this can be sorted out with a simple blood test.
Many sufferers of a panic disorder call 9-1-1 because they believe they are having heart failure.
This leads to increased health care costs because of the sheer volume of visits to the emergency room by people who are overcome by anxiety related illnesses.
Stress is never good for your overall health and managing stress is an important factor in preventing any kind of attack.
The pain associated with a cardiac arrest is unmistakable.
In fact, if you are actually suffering a heart attack, the only thing you will be able to focus on is the extreme pain you will experience.
In the case of a panic related attack, there may be some pain, but it will be centralized, not radiating, and it will not last for very long.
Most of the symptoms of these attacks are brought on by anxiety and your brain interprets the level of anxiety by responding with one of the oldest known instincts, fight or flight.
In the fight or fight response, your brain prepares your body for fight - defending yourself against danger or flight - running away from the danger.
Panic related attacks do not cause heart attacks.
You could however experience a panic related attack while experiencing a heart related attack.
Most people do not have an issue with their heart out of the blue, there are underlying medical conditions that precipitate them.
When a person experiences cardiac failure, they are not in the same heightened response mode as a person suffering a panic disorder attack.
If you think you have heart disease or there is a family history of heart disease, it is important to have the proper screening tests conducted by your health care provider.
A panic attack heart symptom is not something you should ignore, and be treated.
The main thing is to get a proper diagnosis and treatment.