Anxiety Attacks
Anxiety or panic attacks are sudden periods of intense anxiety, fear and discomfort. While these attacks might seem to happen for no reason, they’re actually the body’s response to what it perceives to determine the need for fight or flight.
The attacks usually last about ten minutes, but can be as short as one minute. However, there are some severe cases where they occur in cycles. Anxiety attacks cycles can last for various extended amounts of time. These cycles can cause ’anticipation’ anxiety between episodes.
The common physical indications of anxiety or panic attacks are: shortness of breath, experiencing heart palpitations, breaking out in a sweat and having some type of agitated feeling. Tingling and numbness in the extremities, dizziness, lightheadedness, headaches and nausea are also commonly experienced. These may appear to be random, but they’re actually the result of the body’s preparations for protection.
The anxiety attack is brought on by a sudden onset of fear. When this happens, the body will work to regulate it’s temperature by increasing the heart rate through increased adrenaline and this is what causes the increase in breathing rate. These actions prepare the body for the physical activities of fighting or escaping. Because the anticipated strenuous activity rarely follows the panic attack, these reactions result in physical discomfort.
The heart palpitations are brought on by the increased heart rate. When that happens, a person can hyperventilate due to rapid breathing, causing a decrease in the amount of carbon dioxide levels in the bodies blood and lungs. Once the carbon dioxide levels go down in the blood; numbness, tingling, dizziness and lightheadedness will occur. The rapid heart rate, raises the adrenaline and that effects the blood vessels by causing them to narrow, which in turn effects the amount of blood that is able to get up to the brain. After understanding the causes and symptoms of anxiety attacks, you should learn to breathe properly if an attack occurs, which will help you to take steps in controlling them; you owe it to yourself to learn ways to do this and get to the root of the problem!
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