Most people are unaware of the magnitude of the disruption panic attacks bring to a patient suffering from them frequently. They do not understand what causes these attacks and why they are so terrible for the patient. Patients who undergo panic attacks are unable to leave home or work. They are unable to handle specific situations or to tolerate the presence of specific objects around them. This can have a terrible influence on their daily life and is very hard on them.

Panic Attacks typically start with fear, worry or anxiety. Normally everyone feels anxious some time or the other, but the patient with panic attacks experiences intense anxiety. Their emotions of anxiety, worry and fear get totally out of control. This fact causes them even more anxiety and gets converted into physical symptoms. They feel as if they are suffering from heart attack or some other critical medical problem like seizure. Physical symptoms represent a big indication in understanding panic attacks. Patients who suffer from a high state of fear, anxiety or worry feel their increased heartbeats, palpitations and a feeling of tightness in the chest. This worries them all the more because they feel they are facing much more than a fearful situation. Some neurological symptoms like uncontrollable shaking, jittering or twitching may also be exhibited. The patient literally shakes from terror and fear over the confronting situation. Other symptoms such as headaches, diarrhea, stomach upset, chills or hot flushes, nausea and other physical reactions may also manifest.

What causes these panic attacks? The causes of panic attacks are varied and they are different for each individual. Chronic panic attacks may manifest as psychological disorders such as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Social Anxiety, Phobia and such other anxiety disorders. Persons suffering from these disorders display an astoundingly higher level of anxiety than persons who are lucky not to suffer from these disorders.

Panic attacks may also be a result of underlying medical disorders like Thyroid Disorder, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Migraines, some types of heart conditions and certain disorders which are anxiety provoking. Some of these will directly result in anxiety due to physiological reasons whereas others will cause anxiety as an outcome of the medical disorder. The patients with medical problems could be fearful of their deteriorating health or the medical problems may not allow them to undertake certain activities or reduce their capacity as compared to earlier times.

Panic attacks may also result from medications. Many medications have side effects which result in restlessness, insomnia, nervousness and deep anxiety. The people who are prone to anxiety normally find that medication worsens their situation and makes it more difficult to achieve control over their feelings. If the medication prevents them from sleeping, it aggravates symptoms.

If you understand what panic attacks are, it will help you to assist a close friend or a member of the family who may be undergoing panic attacks regularly. It is important to understand that these people are neither going mad nor are they inventing the symptoms that are displayed. Panic attacks are terrible disorders which totally disrupt someone's life. If you can encourage such a person to seek medical help to reduce these panic attacks frequency and severity, you would have done a lot to support him towards leading a normal life.