How Can You Recognize a Panic Attack or Heart Attack?

How Can You Recognize a Panic Attack or Heart Attack?

Inputs by Dr. Nitin Jagasia, Consultant, Emergency Medicine, Apollo Hospitals, Navi Mumbai.

One can suddenly feel chest pain, shortness of breath, and a tingling sensation running through the body. Is it a heart attack or a panic attack? Both of these can have similar symptoms. Additionally, having a heart attack can cause someone to panic, which may make the situation more confusing for the patient. Regardless, if an individual feels that he/shemay be having a heart attack, he/she should seek emergency medical attention.

Telling the Difference:

What does a Panic Attack feel like?

Panic attacks can sometimes occur unexpectedly or without a trigger,making them scary and easy to confuse with more serious physical health problems.

Here are a few pointers to help you recognize a panic attack –

• It tends to affect the younger generation
• Occurs after triggers such as seeing blood, a serious accident or receiving bad news
• Self-limiting after a few minutes

What does a Heart Attack feel like?

Chest pain or pressure is the most common symptom of a heart attack; still, people who are having a heart attack may experience a range of conditions like:

• Shortness of breath
• Heart palpitations or racing heart
• Upper body pain (shoulders, arms, back, neck, jaw, teeth, etc.).
• Stomach upset and abdominal pain
• Dizziness or lightheadedness
• Anxiety
• Hot or cold sweats
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Fainting (more likely in women, the elderly, and people with diabetes)
• Fatigue

While the symptoms of these two conditions may sometimes coincide, understanding the differences between them can prove lifesaving. Knowing the difference between a panic attack and a heart attack can be difficult, especially if a person has never experienced the symptoms of either before. But one of the main ways panic attacks are distinguished from heart attacks is by duration — most panic attacks will be over within ten minutes (and often less), while heart attacks can last much longer.

In case of any doubts, consult a medical professional at the earliest.