When something harmful or irritating affects a part of our body, there is a biological response to try to remove it. Inflammation can be uncomfortable, but it means that the body is starting to heal itself.
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May 23, 2022
Have you suddenly experienced palpitations and nausea? Was it also a combination of shortness of breath, profuse sweating, and uncontrolled tremors all throughout your body? Was there numbness or a tingling sensation in the limbs or the whole body? Did you feel you were about to die due to your irregularly beating heart? And did it suddenly stop 5 to 20 minutes later? [1]
Chances are, you had a panic attack. These attacks are usually triggered by intense fear which may last for only a few moments. Other symptoms are not limited to the ones mentioned. Hot flashes, chills, chest pain, abdominal pains, headaches, dizziness, and a feeling of surrealness may also occur. It becomes a panic disorder when panic attacks recur due to a persistent fear of having another attack. [2]
Recognizing that you are having an attack is a good start to treatment. Other tips to getting an attack under control are as follows: [3]
References
[1] “Are You Having Panic Attacks?”, NHS UK, 26 September 2018, Retrieved from https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/understanding-panic-attacks/
[2] “Panic Attacks and Panic Disorder”, Mayo Clinic, [n.d.], Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/panic-attacks/symptoms-causes/syc-20376021
[3] Ana Gotter, “11 Ways to Stop a Panic Attack”, Healthline, 7 December 2018, Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-stop-a-panic-attack#lavender