How does one distinguish between symptoms of Panic Disorder and serious medical problems, such as a heart attack?
It is not uncommon for people to think they are experiencing a heart attack, when in fact they are having a Panic Attack. Although chest pain or discomfort can occur during a Panic Attack, cardiac arrest entails a crushing pain in the chest, usually accompanied by pains that shoot downward through the arm. 2 More. Sometimes people think that they are going to faint during a Panic Attack, which is probably due to the dizziness that accompanies hyperventilation. In fact hyperventilation and elevated heart rate and blood pressure protect against fainting. 2 Additionally, the fight or flight reaction experienced during a Panic Attack is designed to help the individual protect against threat, and therefore it is not dangerous.
