Your heart starts pounding all of a sudden. You are out of breath and experiencing chest pain. Are you experiencing cardiac arrest? Or might it be an episode of panic? Any of these symptoms and indications can be really terrifying. Despite their many similarities, the two conditions are caused by entirely different disease processes. Stress hormones cause the body to go into "fight or flight" mode, which can cause symptoms like shortness of breath, chest pain, and a pounding heart rate. The symptoms of a heart attack can also be caused by a blockage in the heart vessels. Insufficient blood flow to the heart muscle can cause shortness of breath, chest pain, and an accelerated heartbeat.
Chest pain is one of the common presentations examined by numerous primary and secondary care physicians. Generally, such pain is unrelated to heart issues. A panic attack could be the cause of a patient's chest pain. The debilitating mental illness known as panic disorder can have significant manifestation, that may lead to higher risk of suicide and diminished social functioning. A worse prognosis and more severe anxiety symptoms are frequently caused by the co-occurrence of panic disorder and other mental health disorders.
Misinterpreting chest pain that is not related to the heart can enhance your unnecessary stress. One must be able to identify panic attacks and differentiate them from heart problems to get the right treatment and save lives. Let’s understand the difference between these two conditions in the following article.
Read Also: Heart Attack vs Heart Failure: Key Differences You Should Know
What is Panic Attack?
An intense, sudden, and challenging sense of anxiety that may end up in severe physical and psychological symptoms is known as a panic attack. A person experiencing a panic attack often feels extreme anxiety and terror, along with other physical symptoms like sweating palms and pounding heart rate. Panic attacks are worrisome and frightening, but they are not dangerous. The physical and mental symptoms associated with panic attack are:- Pounding or racing heart rate
- Lightheadedness
- Dizziness
- Cold/hot flashes
- Shaking/trembling/shivering
- Increased sweating especially in palms
- Nausea
- Stomach discomfort
- Diarrhea
- Chest pain
- Difficulty in breathing
- Sudden sensation impending something bad or catastrophic
- Profound sense of anxiety, worry, or fear,
- Detachment from oneself or the outside world (derealization)
What is Heart Attack?
Heart attack is the consequence of blocked or impaired blood supply to the heart muscles, usually because of a blood clot. It is also known as myocardial infarction. In such conditions, the heart muscles lack enough oxygen supply and start to die without adequate blood flow. A heart attack may cause serious cardiac damage or even death if the patient does not receive immediate medical care to restore the blood supply to the heart. Following are some common heart attack symptoms:- Breathlessness or troubled breathing
- Chest discomfort (mainly on the left central area of the chest)
- Squeezing sensation, pressure sensation, or chest pain that is of persistent or intermittent nature
- Discomfort/pressure/pain affecting neck, jaw, upper region of the back, arms, or shoulders
- Lightheadedness
- Dizziness
- Excessive Weakness
- Sweating
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Unexplained fatigue or tiredness
What are the Similarities Between Panic Attack and Heart Attack?
There is some overlap between the symptoms of a panic attack and a heart attack, which is one of the reasons why people occasionally confuse the two frightening conditions. For instance, a heart attack and a panic attack can both result in:- Chest pain
- Breathlessness
- Lightheadedness
- Excessive sweating
- Overall discomfort in the body
How to Distinguish Panic Attack and a Heart Attack
Determining whether your uncomfortable symptoms are something more than a panic attack may seem impractical at that very moment. Here are a few methods for telling the two apart.A panic attack typically lasts 10 minutes or less for most people. It often peaks within that time frame and begins abruptly, sometimes in reaction to a trigger. The majority of panic attack symptoms resolve in around 30 minutes, though occasionally they may take up to several hours.
However, signs of a heart attack can appear gradually or suddenly, and they typically do occur following physical activity. Pain from a heart attack can vary from being sharp to being crushing. The common location of the pain is the chest, jaw, neck, back, or shoulders. The symptoms of a heart attack can persist for hours rather than going away quickly.
When to Seek Emergency Medical Attention?
You should get medical help right away if you have any of the following symptoms, especially if they worsen or don't go away:- Severe and lasting chest pain/discomfort/pressure
- Pain spreading to the jaw, back, neck, or shoulders
- Breathlessness or gasping for breaths
- Chills
- Sweating
- Nausea
- Vomiting
Diagnosis & Treatment of Panic Attack
Talk to your doctor about any recent panic attack symptoms. Your doctor can refer you to a mental health specialist for an accurate diagnosis and course of treatment once they have confirmed that your symptoms are not the result of any other underlying medical condition.Treatment is available to assist you in navigating recovery, regardless of whether this is your first panic attack or you are coping with another mental health issue that results in frequent panic attacks. Your doctor may suggest you following treatment options depending upon your overall condition to help to manage your symptoms, such as:
- Lifestyle modifications: Increasing life stressors can trigger panic attacks in many people, so it can be beneficial to make adjustments that will lower your stress level overall. Treating the underlying conditions can also have a significant impact on individuals who experience panic attacks as a symptom of other conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Therapy: For anxiety and panic disorders, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the most popular therapeutic modalities. CBT can assist you in addressing and altering the ideas, emotions, and actions that may be causing or exacerbating your panic episodes.
- Medications: Some drugs may be able to lessen the anxiety symptoms that are potentially triggering your panic episodes. Antidepressants from the categories like, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) and serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) are frequently advised for long-term anxiety.
Diagnosis & Treatment of Heart Attack
It's critical to visit a hospital as soon as possible after a heart attack occurs for diagnosis and treatment. A heart attack can be diagnosed by the hospital's medical staff using a range of diagnostic tests, such as the following:- Electrocardiogram (ECG) to check abnormal electrical signals of your heart.
- Troponin test to check for troponin (a protein that seeps into the bloodstream in case of heart heart muscle damaged)
- Imaging tests like X-ray, computed tomography (CT), or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to look for structural abnormalities in the heart
- Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)
- Stenting
- Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG)
Conclusion
It can be challenging to distinguish between a false alarm caused by a panic attack and something potentially fatal, like a heart attack, when you're feeling uneasy and afraid. However, some symptoms, particularly intense chest pain or pain radiating to your neck, back, or jaw, may suggest that you should see a doctor. Never delay getting emergency care if you have any doubts or concerns that you may be having something more serious than a panic attack; in the end, it might save your life. Choose Asian Heart Institute for right and timely heart care if you suspect that you or your loved ones might be suffering from any heart disease.FAQs
Q1: Which 3-3-3 rule applies to panic attacks?A: When something triggers your anxiety, you can apply the 3-3-3 rule. Simply scan your surroundings for three objects and three sounds, then move three body parts.
Q2: Are episodes of panic attack usual?
A: Anxiety and panic are feelings that everyone encounters occasionally. It's a normal reaction to tense or hazardous circumstances. However, a person suffering from panic disorder frequently experiences feelings of stress, anxiety, and panic at any time, frequently without any apparent cause.
Q3: Does panic attack cause heart attack?
A: Significant sympathetic discharge occurs during a panic attack, which may cause vessel constriction. So, yes, a severe panic attack may cause a heart attack.
