About Panic Attacks

Panic attacks vary in their intensity and effects. A person under a panic attack may feel nervous and disoriented. Symptoms of a panic attack include an abrupt but devastating feeling of fear. Panic attacks can affect a person for up to half an hour. These attacks are usually caused anxiety and stress. Panic attacks not only occur in people with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, they also affect psychologically healthy individuals. There are situations in life which cause extreme anxiety. For example, if an unexpected situation like kidnapping, you may experience high levels of anxiety. Anxiety is also caused by fear of the future or the unknown

Panic Attacks and Your Breathing

Being unable to breathe properly is a common symptom of a panic attack. The victim breathes in gulps. Unexpected situations prepare the body for flight. The heart beat increases and hormones are released in the blood stream.

How?

An individual’s sympathetic nervous system responds to dreadful situations.

This is the first trigger of a panic attack. A hormone which is released into the bloodstream during a panic attack is called Adrenaline. Adrenaline prepares the body for emergency situations. The blood pumps more blood and a lot of energy in the form of glucose is released in the body cells. Heat is produced and the individual breathes at a faster rate. The supply of oxygen must be increased during an emergency situation; therefore the individual will breathe deeply to get more air. This situation is called hyperventilation.

Blood vessels will also respond to a panic attack. Adrenaline affects the blood vessels through vasoconstriction. During vasoconstriction, the blood vessels decrease in diameter. The decrease in diameter is caused by the tension and contraction of muscles. When blood vessels decrease in diameter, the flow of blood is restricted. This reduces the volume of blood that is supposed to reach certain parts of the body. A limited supply of oxygen is experienced during vasoconstriction. The victim of a panic attack will experience short breath in the process. The person will be forced to breathe deeply and faster. Hyperventilation is caused by unequal combinations of Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide in the blood stream.

Relieving Panic Attacks with Breathing

One way of relieving panic attacks is to take it cool. You should breathe slowly. Breathing slowly and deeply allows the heart to function normally without stress. When you shut out thoughts of fear and dread, you will get relaxed.