The difference between a panic attack and a heart attack

Many people confuse heart attack and panic attack, as the symptoms may be slightly similar, as both cause rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, and sweating, and the heart attack may result in a feeling of panic as well, so we explain in the following lines the difference between a panic attack and a heart attack, and other information, such as Do panic attacks affect the heart?

• The difference between a panic attack and a heart attack
• Symptoms of panic attacks
• Heart attack symptoms
• How do I tell the difference between a panic attack and a heart attack?
• Does a panic attack cause a heart attack?
• Do panic attacks affect the heart?
• When should I consult a doctor?

The difference between a panic attack and a heart attack

The difference between panic attacks and heart attack can be explained in the following points:

A heart attack occurs when an artery is blocked, preventing blood flow to the heart muscle, while a panic attack occurs when exposed to something that the individual fears, or when thinking about it, for example, even if it does not cause real danger.

When people with heart attack risk factors experience chest pain, the likelihood that this pain is a heart attack is high, and the most important risk factors for heart attack include:

Men over 45 years old and women over 55 years old.

People with a history of heart attacks.

People with obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol or triglycerides.

If people with a risk factor for post-panic attacks experience chest pain, the likelihood that this pain will be a panic attack is high:

Stressors.

Sufferers of anxiety.

People with heart attacks may also experience panic attacks.

Read also: Panic disorders

Heart attacks are preceded by some symptoms for a few days or weeks, often while panic attacks sometimes occur during rest.

Panic disappears or often decreases when sitting in a quiet and comfortable place, and taking a deep breath, which does not happen with heart attacks, as these techniques or methods do not treat heart attacks, which explains the difference between a panic attack and a heart attack.

The risk of heart attacks can be reduced by eating a healthy diet, exercising constantly, and avoiding psychological and nervous stress, while panic attacks can be avoided by following relaxation techniques, meditation, yoga, and other techniques that help relieve psychological and nervous stress, frequent thinking, and fears.

Read more: Yoga: benefits, types and how to perform it

Avoiding smoking helps avoid both conditions.

It is always advisable to go to the emergency or call an ambulance to get immediate medical attention, avoid any complications and make sure that there is a heart attack or not.

Symptoms of panic attacks

• Among the most important symptoms of panic attacks are the following:

Shortness of breath / tachycardia / sweating / chest pain / tingling in the hands / body tremor

• Heart attack symptoms

Symptoms of a heart attack may include:

• Chest pain
• Pain in the left shoulder
• Breathlessness
• Nausea or vomiting
• Taccardia.
• take root
• How do I tell the difference between a panic attack and a heart attack?

It can be difficult to tell the difference, especially when you first have one, but the following points explain how to differentiate between a fear attack and a heart attack:

• Nature of pain

Chest pain in a panic attack is often like stabbing or acute pain localized in the middle of the chest, while heart attack pain is like a sensation of strong pressure that starts from the chest, and then may spread to the shoulders, neck, jaw, or arm, which helps to know the difference between a panic attack and a heart attack.

• Trigger of the onset of symptoms

The symptoms of both attacks may occur suddenly, but the heart attack may occur after performing physical exertion such as climbing stairs, walking a large distance, jogging, or performing some strenuous exercise, but this varies according to the type of heart attack, as this can be determined by medical staff.

• Duration of the seizure I

Heart attack symptoms last until proper treatment is received, but they worsen over time when treatment is not received, while a panic attack may last up to 20 minutes, and then symptoms often decrease or disappear, which is one of the most important points to know the difference between a panic attack and a heart attack.

• Read also: How to distinguish the symptoms of a heart attack from other attacks?
• Does a panic attack cause a heart attack?

A panic attack cannot cause a heart attack, as there must be an arterial blockage or blood clot in one of the arteries, or the death of part of the heart muscle for a heart attack, but anxiety and stress may affect the development of coronary artery disease, as some research has shown a high risk of heart attack for those who suffer from an anxiety disorder, as a result of a low heart rate.

• Do panic attacks affect the heart?

Panic attacks cause an acceleration of the heartbeat or what is known as tachycardia, as the heart rate may reach 200 beats per minute or more, which is a large number compared to the normal rate of heartbeat, causing a feeling of dizziness, shortness of breath, or palpitations in the heart

Temporary panic attacks that last a few minutes and occur as an emotional response to a specific event are sometimes not dangerous, but a doctor should be consulted, especially when the attacks recur

• When should I consult a doctor?

Consult your doctor when you experience the following symptoms because the symptoms of the two seizures are similar, especially when you are unable to tell the difference between a panic attack and a heart attack:

• Sharp and sudden chest pain
• Chest pressure lasts more than two or three minutes
• Chest pain that extends to the neck, shoulder, arms or jaw

Some medical tests, such as electrocardiogram (ECG) and blood tests, may also help determine the type of injury, as some doctors confuse the two seizures in women

In conclusion, we mentioned in the previous lines some points that help to know the difference between a panic attack and a heart attack, but any symptoms should be taken seriously, as despite the differences that we mentioned above, no one can definitively differentiate between the two seizures except a doctor or a health care provider specialized in that.

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