Typical Causes of Panic Attacks
Panic attacks are a sudden and overwhelming feeling of extreme fear and anxiety that can be potentially debilitating.
These attacks can be extremely frightening, and can trigger such a physical response that occasionally people will think they are having a heart attack or are dying.
They can affect every aspect of the person's life.
Many people that suffer from attacks live in fear of their next episode and may experience depression as well.
Panic attacks were once thought to be just typical nerves, stress or a sign of weakness, but have since been considered a treatable medical condition.
One of the suspected causes of this disorder is genetics.
A person with a family history of panic disorders is twice as likely to develop the problem themselves.
Studies performed on twins point to genetics as a cause of panic attacks, however, some people develop them with no family history at all.
In those cases, other causes of panic attacks are likely the culprit.
Psychologically caused panic attacks are often triggered during times of great stress.
Marriage, the birth of a new baby, death of a loved one, graduation, a big move, or career change can result in the onset of an attack(s) for some individuals.
Fear of the next panic attack can also perpetuate the cycle, and may be a cause of psychological induced anxiety attacks.
Research also suggests that these attacks are caused by a physiological disorder in the brain.
The amygdala is a part of the brain that is responsible for activating a fear response in the human body.
If this function is misfiring in the brain, it can tell the body that it should be afraid when there is actually nothing to fear.
The body gets ready to defend itself by increasing the adrenaline, which leads to increased heart rate, and less blood flow to the brain.
This is "fight or flight" response is the brain's way of ensuring its safety if the body has to defend itself.
A patient suffering from these types of anxiety attacks should visit their doctor to uncover the cause and find a treatment plan.
If genetics, psychological, and physiological causes of anxiety attacks are ruled out, the doctor may test to be sure that there is no other underlying medical issue such as nutritional deficiency, hyperthyroidism, hypoglycemia, or medication withdrawal.
Once the patient and the doctor get to the root of the causes of panic attack(s), they can work together to put an end to this emotionally and physically disabling illness.
These attacks can be extremely frightening, and can trigger such a physical response that occasionally people will think they are having a heart attack or are dying.
They can affect every aspect of the person's life.
Many people that suffer from attacks live in fear of their next episode and may experience depression as well.
Panic attacks were once thought to be just typical nerves, stress or a sign of weakness, but have since been considered a treatable medical condition.
One of the suspected causes of this disorder is genetics.
A person with a family history of panic disorders is twice as likely to develop the problem themselves.
Studies performed on twins point to genetics as a cause of panic attacks, however, some people develop them with no family history at all.
In those cases, other causes of panic attacks are likely the culprit.
Psychologically caused panic attacks are often triggered during times of great stress.
Marriage, the birth of a new baby, death of a loved one, graduation, a big move, or career change can result in the onset of an attack(s) for some individuals.
Fear of the next panic attack can also perpetuate the cycle, and may be a cause of psychological induced anxiety attacks.
Research also suggests that these attacks are caused by a physiological disorder in the brain.
The amygdala is a part of the brain that is responsible for activating a fear response in the human body.
If this function is misfiring in the brain, it can tell the body that it should be afraid when there is actually nothing to fear.
The body gets ready to defend itself by increasing the adrenaline, which leads to increased heart rate, and less blood flow to the brain.
This is "fight or flight" response is the brain's way of ensuring its safety if the body has to defend itself.
A patient suffering from these types of anxiety attacks should visit their doctor to uncover the cause and find a treatment plan.
If genetics, psychological, and physiological causes of anxiety attacks are ruled out, the doctor may test to be sure that there is no other underlying medical issue such as nutritional deficiency, hyperthyroidism, hypoglycemia, or medication withdrawal.
Once the patient and the doctor get to the root of the causes of panic attack(s), they can work together to put an end to this emotionally and physically disabling illness.
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