Panic, or anxiety, attacks are a form of anxiety disorder, characterized by episodes of extreme fear and panic. Although they are harmless, the one suffering from it may have severe episodes which are very alarming and frightening and even cause them to feel that they are dying. Anxiety attacks can be treated especially if you know what cause them in the first place.

Characteristics of panic attacks

- They occur randomly with no warning sign or pattern although certain events or environments can trigger the panic attacks to occur.

- Chest pains are a common symptom during attacks; sometimes they are very strong that the victim may think they are having a heart attack.

- Anxiety attacks may cause a domino effect of other illnesses, such as phobias, which can occur when the episode occurs in a specific place which triggers an irrational fear in the victim with anything related to the place or event where the panic attack took place.

- Physical symptoms include trembling, shaking, nausea, chest pain, palpitations, cold sweat, extreme fear of losing control, irrational fear that something bad will happen, upset stomach, racing heartbeat, dizziness, and lightheadedness.

Causes of panic attacks

There are numerous causes for this disorder although it is also an illness which can be inherited. Other factors which may cause anxiety attacks include:

- They may be a side effect of medical conditions and medications such as certain asthma medicines and steroids.

- It has also been theorized that nutritional deficiencies such as magnesium or zinc contribute to a person's vulnerability to such attacks although there are still studies being conducted to confirm this.

- Food additives are also currently being investigated to confirm if they play a role in an anxiety attack, such as aspartame and other food dyes.

- A person who grew up with high levels of stress in their home environment has shown to also be more susceptible to these attacks as they get older.

- Stressful life events may also bring about anxiety attacks, such as going through a loss, planning a wedding, going through a divorce, and many more. At these times we are dealing with many emotions which are extreme, and may make us more vulnerable to panic attacks.

- Childhood abuse and trauma has also shown to be linked to panic attacks.

- Parents who are overprotective also tend to rear children who grow up with panic attacks.

The symptoms and causes for each case of panic attacks may vary from one another because there are many more causes and unique environmental factors which should be taken into consideration. If you or your loved one is suffering from panic attacks, it's recommended to have them see an expert immediately so that you can learn how to best treat it and manage life again. For those who are suffering from panic attacks, it may seem like a debilitating disease but it is treatable. It is common to feel that one is losing control but through the proper treatment it is easy to gain control again.