04:00 p.m
Thursday 20 October 2022
Agencies:
Panic attacks can occur as a result of extreme stress, depression or exhaustion, accompanied by a rapid pulse and a feeling of suffocation, so how can we distinguish between them and a heart attack?
Dr. Irina Golotina notes that panic attacks and heart attacks have similar symptoms – heart palpitations, shortness of breath, sweating and chest pain. But in the case of panic attacks, these symptoms can last up to 20 minutes and then go away. As for heart attacks, they do not go away until following obtaining the necessary medical care. In addition, patients usually feel warning symptoms a few days before a heart attack occurs, and the heart attack often occurs during physical activity. The panic attacks have nothing to do with physical activity.
“If a young person has chest pain, and he does not have risk factors, then the chance of having a heart attack is very small,” she says. “But chest pain in a 50-year-old who smokes for many years and suffers from diabetes, is more likely to indicate a heart attack, and that he needs to As for the risk factors for panic attacks, they are mental health, while the person’s physical condition plays a major role in the occurrence of a heart attack, in addition to his age, cholesterol level, weight, blood pressure level and other factors,” according to Russia Today.
The nature of the pain can determine the type of attack, she says. A sharp pain behind the breastbone or a constant pain in a specific place indicates a panic attack. This pain is characterized by twinges over a short period of 5-10 seconds. But in the case of a heart attack, the patient complains of pressure and pain in the chest that moves to the left arm, and can move to the right arm, the neck, and the area between the shoulders. That is, they are often associated with physical activity – physical and emotional stress.
In the event of a panic attack, the doctor recommends paying attention, first of all, to breathing – the patient needs to breathe abdominally, focus on exhaling, and try to “feel” their body, to be aware of their presence.
“For this, one must stand on both feet, and imagine that fear passes through it to the ground, like an electric current, or grabs something or starts flicking its hands, to get rid of the state of tension,” she says. It’s best to tell him that he is having a panic attack and that he needs help. He can express his feelings verbally. He should tell others that he is afraid. Because by expressing our fear we reduce our anxiety.”