Anyone who has ever experienced a panic attack knows that this is an incredibly distressing thing to endure. The fear alone is enough to make you never want to experience another attack - and physical panic attacks symptoms make the distress of an attack all the more intense. Keep reading for more about the most commonly experienced symptoms of panic attacks and how you can reduce the frequency and severity of future attacks.

Physical Panic Attacks Symptoms

What people tend to dread the most about their panic attacks are the physical symptoms. These are often so severe that sufferers actually begin to suspect their lives are in danger. However, the fear of having another panic attack may become even worse than the attack itself.

The most common symptom is a rapid heartbeat, followed closely by shortness of breath; many people who experience panic attacks suffer from both symptoms. These symptoms combine to make many sufferers feel as if they're having a heart attack, especially when they are accompanied by chest pains, which are another symptom which many people go through during an attack.

Nausea, chills or hot flashes are also common, as is vertigo sometimes leading to falls. This dizziness can come on very suddenly as can all symptoms of panic attacks, which make them particularly alarming. Understanding the differences between panic attacks symptoms and those related to a heart attack is important; if in doubt seek immediate medical attention.

Mental Panic Attacks Symptoms

The physical symptoms are only part of the picture. There are also symptoms which occur entirely inside of the mind of the sufferer. Even though there are panic attack symptoms which vary from one person to another and may not occur in every attack, one very common mental symptom is an overwhelming sensation of fear. Essentially, the fight or flight response has been invoked in the absence of any external stimuli. You aren't sure why you are fearful. Many people find themselves overcome with an urge to flee; others have a dissociative reaction, feeling as if someone else is experiencing the attack rather than themselves and freeze up, unable to do anything.

Because of the severity of the physical symptoms of the attack, the fear typical of panic attacks is even worse, with sufferers often convinced that they are dying.

Dealing with Panic Attacks Symptoms

Panic attacks are typically very short lived, lasting only a matter of minutes. If you experience attacks regularly, you likely fear another attack. One way to begin coping with the condition is to remember that how you react to the onset of your attack often plays a role in how long the attack lasts and how severe it is.

The usual reaction to a panic attack is, obviously enough, fear. It's a self-sustaining cycle which escalates the attack and can make it last longer. You can reduce panic attacks symptoms by using breathing techniques and exercises which produce relaxation in order to calm yourself when you feel an attack coming on. It's not easy to do this at first since you have to try to relax against the approaching tide of panic. However, if you make meditation, breathing exercises, yoga and other relaxation techniques a regular practice, then you can reduce the frequency of your panic attacks and be more prepared for an attack when it does happen.