Panic attacks can be incredibly frightening. When they occur, many people feel as though something is seriously wrong with their bodies. A racing heart, shortness of breath, dizziness, and chest pain can make it seem like a life-threatening medical emergency. Because the symptoms can feel so intense, it is common for individuals to wonder: Can panic attacks kill you?
While panic attacks can feel overwhelming and even terrifying, they are not life-threatening on their own. However, understanding why they feel so intense and learning how to manage them can help reduce fear and improve overall well-being.
What is a Panic Attack?
Panic attacks refer to a rapid onset of extreme fear or discomfort, typically having physiological symptoms, such as heart racing and sweating. Panic attacks can happen without warning and vary in duration (typically lasting 5–20 minutes. While panic attacks are usually associated with panic disorder, they also occur in individuals who are under a great deal of stress or those with anxiety disorders, traumatic experiences, or other mental health conditions.
The neurophysiological mechanism that causes panic and related symptoms during an episode (e.g., nausea, shortness of breath, dizziness) is the fight-or-flight response, which is a normal reaction that occurs in response to perceived danger but can occur when there is no genuine threat.
Common Symptoms of a Panic Attack
Panic attacks can cause you to have symptoms both physically and emotionally. Symptoms often come on suddenly and peak in severity within a few minutes.
There are many common symptoms of a panic attack, such as:
- Rapid heart rate or pounding heart
- Chest tightness or pain
- Shortness of breath or feeling as though you can’t breathe
- Dizziness or feeling lightheaded
- Sweating or chills
- Shaking or tremors
- Nausea or stomach upset
- Numbness or tingling in the face or hands
- Fear of losing control or going crazy
- Fear of dying
Many of the symptoms are similar to the symptoms of a heart attack, so it’s natural to believe you may be in danger when you’re experiencing a panic attack.
Are Panic Attacks Fatal?
No, panic attacks themselves can’t be fatal.
While the panic attacks may be frightening and severe, a panic attack itself doesn’t result in death or cause complete cessation of body function, even though it may feel like an immediate life-threatening situation. The physical response is attributed to the activation of your body’s response to stress.
The increase in heart rate and respiration does happen, but those changes are still within safe limits for most people.
Though, because of the panic attack, people often feel as if they are in immediate danger, and because of this, they often mistake their panic attack for a medical emergency.
What Makes Panic Attacks So Scary?
Panic attacks can cause people to misinterpret non-life-threatening situations and, therefore, react with panic to something that is harmless.
For example, chest pain, rapid heart rate, and difficulty breathing are all symptoms of someone who is having a panic attack. They also happen to mimic the symptoms of someone who is having a heart attack.
Anytime someone is experiencing these kinds of symptoms, the brain sends the message that the person is in danger; therefore, fear increases, and the panic attack feels stronger.
Panic attacks are often accompanied by hyperventilation, which can cause dizziness, numbness, or a feeling of unreality (depersonalization or derealization). This can make someone even more convinced that they are having a life-threatening situation.
Can Panic Attacks Be Triggered By Other Medical Conditions?
Panic attacks generally do not cause death or lasting physical harm in healthy individuals; however, when people experience frequent, recurring, or untreated panic attacks, there are negative consequences to the overall health and well-being of the person suffering from anxiety.
For example, those who suffer from panic attacks frequently may become:
- Avoidant of the places or situations that cause them anxiety.
- Develop panic disorder or agoraphobia.
- Have problems sleeping and eventually develop chronic stress due to their anxiety.
- Struggling with their jobs, school, and long-term relationships.
Some individuals may go to the emergency room multiple times due to extreme fear that their symptoms indicate that something medically serious is happening.
Therefore, seeking professional help can teach you how to better manage your panic attacks and, consequently, reduce the number of times you experience them.
When to Seek Help from a Therapist?
If you are having symptoms of panic attacks (e.g., chest pain, shortness of breath, or feelings of dizziness for the first time), it is important that you see a physician and have your health assessed. The physician will help you determine whether your symptoms may be associated with a medical condition and also whether the symptoms are due to panic attacks or another medical condition.
Once you receive a diagnosis, you can focus on learning to manage your panic symptoms through initiated treatment and appropriate coping mechanisms/strategies.
How to Manage Panic Attacks?
Panic attacks may feel unmanageable at times. Luckily, there are different strategies that can help lessen the severity and duration of an attack.
1. Control Your Breathing
During a panic attack, a person’s breathing tends to be fast and shallow. Controlled, slow breathing can help calm the nervous system during an attack.
One example of controlled breathing is to breathe through your nose slowly for four seconds, hold for a moment, then exhale slowly through your mouth for six seconds.
2. Be Present
Grounding techniques can help bring your focus back to the present and distract you from distressing thoughts about what may happen next. Examples of grounding techniques include identifying five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste.
This grounding technique will help you interrupt the cycle of anxiety that continues to increase during your panic attack.
3. Know that the Panic Attack Will Come to an End
Every panic attack feels like it’s going to last forever, but it is only temporary. Reminding yourself that it will eventually decrease will help you relax because you will no longer be afraid of when it will stop.
However, know that most panic attacks usually peak within about 10 minutes before gradually decreasing.
4. Consider Professional Treatment
For those experiencing frequent panic attacks, therapy can be particularly beneficial. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is one way to help better understand triggers for your anxiety and provide you with tools for challenging those triggers.
Long-Term Treatment for Panic Attacks
The long-term treatment of a person suffering from panic attacks usually includes a combination of therapy (such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy [CBT]), lifestyle changes, and stress reduction methods.
There are many ways that a person can effectively manage their panic attack symptoms over the long term:
* Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
* Exposure Therapy
* Mindfulness and Relaxation Techniques
* Exercise
* Proper Sleep Hygiene
* Reducing caffeine and other stimulants.
By using any of these techniques, an individual will be able to decrease their overall level of anxiety and may be able to reduce the frequency of their panic attacks.
Living With Panic Attacks
Panic attacks can be scary to experience; however, there is nothing physically wrong with you, and you are not in danger when having a panic attack. Many people experience panic attacks, and there are numerous effective treatment options available today.
Accepting that you will not die from frequent panic attacks (they are not life-threatening) will help you deal with the anxiety associated with having a panic attack.
With appropriate support, coping skills, and guidance from professionals, many individuals have developed the coping skills necessary to regain control of their mental wellness and manage their panic attacks effectively.
Final Remarks
Panic attacks are often scary and completely overwhelming, and will frequently lead to someone believing they are having an emergency medical issue. However, panic attacks themselves cannot kill any person.
Although symptoms might resemble dangerous physical conditions, they are due to the body’s natural stress response. Understanding how panic attack mechanisms work and developing positive coping skills are both crucial in alleviating anxiety.
Finally, if you have been experiencing panic attacks that are affecting your daily activities, seeking help from a mental health care provider may be an effective route for helping support your success and increasing your overall wellness.
