Panic Attack Causes
............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

While science has yet to determine any definitive panic attack causes, enough research has been done to support the theory that heredity plays a major role in determining who will suffer from panic attacks. A 1997 study done at the University of Milan's Anxiety Disorders Clinical and Research Unit, for example, looked at sixty pairs of identical and fraternal twins who suffered from either panic disorder or panic attacks.

The study found that among the identical twins, 57% of the pairs shared panic attacks, and among the fraternal twins, 43% did. The percentage of adults who suffer from panic attacks in the general global populations is estimated at about 1.3%.

Other research has shown that significant life changes, such as marrying or losing a spouse, becoming a parent, or obtaining or losing a job is also related to a higher incidence of panic attacks. It's also possible that panic attacks have a biological cause, although no biomarkers have yet been established for one.

Anyone who experiences what they think is a panic attack would be well-advised to see his or her doctor, because there are specific medical conditions which can mimic the symptoms of panic attack, even though they can't be accurately labeled as panic attack causes. These medical conditions include low blood sugar (hypoglycemia); overactive thyroid (hypothyroidism); and a cardiac condition known as mitral valve prolapse.

Whatever the panic attack causes may be, they all have the same result: a triggering of the body's natural response to stress, known as the "flight-or-fight" reaction. It's this response which puts all your physical systems into overdrive so that you can either defeat or escape from an imminent threat. You know the response well, you simply stop to recall any time when you felt threatened. Your heart automatically started beating more quickly, your breathing became more rapid, and your muscles tensed.

You may also have experienced tingling in your extremities, a heightened sense of awareness, and other physical signs that your entire body was on high alert. All of those physical changes are good when there is an imminent danger. But if you experience at least at least four of them in the absence of danger, you are suffering from a panic attack.

There are times when your thoughts themselves can the most powerful panic attack causes. Suppose, for instance, that you have spent the morning guzzling coffee to get you through a heavy workload. Your overdose of caffeine starts your heart pounding, gives you the shakes, and as you perspiring excessively. Because you previously experienced these symptoms as part of a panic attack, you automatically leap to the conclusion that they are signaling a new one, even though it's simply the caffeine at work.

The more convinced you are that you're in the throes of an attack, the higher your anxiety level goes, and the more aggravated your symptoms become until you’ve created a self-fulfilling prophecy!

Caffeine is not the only substance which can produce symptoms that lead you to think you are having a panic attack. Alcohol can do the same, as can certain medications. The only way to distinguish panic attack causes from substances which simply mimic them is with your doctor's assistance.

Perhaps the worst they about being a victim of panic attacks is that until all panic attack causes have been isolated, you'll never know when your next one will occur!

The Panic Away Kit (With Emergency Support Audio Mp3)

Learn to break the fear of having another panic attack or you will never experience complete freedom from anxiety. Break this cycle of fear with a tool that ends your panic attack once and for all. Discover the most powerful technique for eliminating anxiety and panic attacks without the use of medication. Read More...

.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................