Article by Greg Podsakoff

Everyone knows the feeling of Panic. Anyone who has experience a sudden extreme loss, or a suprising threat knows what panic is… increase in heart rate, sweating, uncontrollable, extreme fear. These are all symptoms of panic.

But what about a panic attack? Well, this is a very common problem for many people around the world, and unfortunatly are usually “brushed off” by the rest of society. The stigma attached to people who suffer panic attacks is that they are “weak minded”, or “overly nervous”. Nothing could be further from the truth. It takes a genuine fear to bring on a panic attack, and it is important to understand the warning signs so the sufferer can help regulate and control them better.

When a panic attack hits, it usually feels like the world, even the body, is caving in suddenly on a person. This is the way the human body responds to extreme danger. The issue here is, the perceived danger isn’t as serious as the person suffering the attack feels it is, but they don’t usually recognize this on a concious level. First, breathing increases, then adernaline is released. The person goes into “fight or flight” mode, and the body gears up to take on a dangerous situation.

The next symptoms of a panic attack are easily noticed. First, a person begins to perspire. This is because the body is heating up due to increased heart rate and faster, shallower breathing. This causes more fear, as a person feels like they cannot breath enough, and they start getting very scared about not getting enough air. Then, symptoms can go on to get much worse, and to the victim, it can start to feel like a heart attack! However, if these first symptoms are noticed and steps taken to slow the onset of the attack, it is possible to stop the attack just as it is getting started.

This is the persons body starting to trigger the “fight or flight” mode as a response to the percevied immediate danger. In the cave man days, it was necessary for our body to “turn on” when danger was around, it was our way of fighting better, or running faster. However, this type of physical response to stress is harmful in the long run to our bodies. Our cardiovascular system is pushed to the limit. Our mind is too focused to think properly. We can become dizzy, exhausted, and even faint if we stay in this mode for too long. The sweat takes water and necessary chemicals out of our body, and we can dehydrate. Continuing exposure to the adrenaline can create numb fingers, toes, hands and feet. If it gets this bad, it is necessary to lie down, and try to relax.

The good news is, if a panic attack is identified by the first signs of sweating and shortness of breath, it can be negated to the degree of “short circuiting” out the fight or flight mechanism, and no panic attack will develop. This will help a person maintain a healthy body, and keep the psychological damage of an extreme panic attack to a minimum. The trick is as soon as you can identify the shortness of breath and the sweating symptoms, you need to sit down, and take deep, slow breathes through the nose if you can. Focus on a relaxing thought.

This will all take some practice, but with time, you can use this calm, deep breathing technique to cut a panic attack short.

About the Author

Greg Podsakoff is the editor of Herbal Remedies That Work. or more natural stress relieving treatments, including the most effective herbs of all for relaxation Herbs for Stress Relief For other top herbal remedies that have been proven to treat illnesses, visit Herbal Remedies

Article by Adam Hefner

Many people confuse an illness with a symptom. Symptoms are the physical (or mental) manifestations of an underlying disease or disorder. Health care professionals analyze given symptoms to help make the correct diagnosis. To help you combat your disorder it is similarly important for you to be able to identify panic attack symptoms.

Where do panic, or anxiety, attacks come from? Ironically, they are a remnant of a response given to us to help alert us to real danger. The “fight or flight” response is buried within all of us and dates back to the time of the cavemen. Unfortunately for some, this response mechanism can take on a mind of its own coming out when least needed or desired.

When faced with true peril, it is quite useful to have our body and mind convey the threat to us in no uncertain terms. However, when in the middle of an important presentation or while driving in heavy traffic a sudden attack of panic and anxiety is not conducive to one’s well being. Panic attacks are the bane of many today, some experiencing such severe episodes it begins to disallow for a normal life.

It is important for sufferers to become familiar with all symptoms which can portend a panic attack. Without being in tune to the signals your body is sending, one is unable to take the necessary steps to ward off the attack. Even if you are unable to completely suppress the episode, it is often possible to take actions aimed at tamping its duration and severity.

The most salient symptom is generally described as an all consuming feeling of dread or terror. If one is on a crashing plane or other such dire predicament these feelings would be natural and warranted. However, for those afflicted with anxiety attacks these emotions occur without a rational underlying justification.

Other symptoms are harder to discern. Many report feeling a sense of being outside one’s own body. Others experience racing, disjointed thoughts all with terrorizing themes. During attacks some begin shivering from a perceived icy cold feeling. Others experience sweating and intense hot flashes. These variations contribute to the difficulty of devising a one size fits all template describing which symptoms qualify and which do not.

The other class of symptoms are more physical in nature. Most common is a racing pulse. Vertigo, which is a sense of unbalance or dizziness, often occurs. Splotching of the skin has also been widely reported. Many times this can be confused with an allergic reaction. Diagnosing panic attacks is often complicated by the fact that many of its symptoms mimic those of other ailments.

If any of the above panic attack symptoms sound familiar, you might be experiencing panic attacks. As with most things in life, information is power. Many possible techniques are available to combat these attacks. However, you won’t know to employ them without awareness if an attack is actually happening.

About the Author

To find more on how you can detect panic attack symptoms, check out Panic Away.