Causes Of Panic Attacks You Were Not Aware Of
By Lauren Mccluskey
1 year ago
1. Genetics
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If you suffer from panic attacks and you're searching for an underlying cause of them, there is a chance that it could be a psychiatric condition called panic disorder. Research has found that a possible cause of your panic attacks could be due to certain genetic factors, particularly if any of your first-degree relatives suffer from a psychiatric condition.2. Lack of sleep
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If you don't get enough sleep for any reason, this has been found to significantly worsen feelings of anxiety in some cases and therefore contribute to the occurrence of panic attacks. This is because when we are sleep deprived, our brains can't function correctly and our resilience is significantly reduced.3. Chronic illness
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Panic and anxiety disorder can also be due to medical or physical health problems or chronic illness and panic attacks can be directly linked to these. If this is the case, alongside your panic attacks, you might also suffer from increased anxiety surrounding particular events or even day-to-day routine activities.4. Chemical imbalances
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There is also a theory that panic attacks could be caused by chemical or hormonal imbalances and there have been multiple studies that have found a link between hormone production and neurotransmitter systems in our brains and panic disorders. And it has also been found that it works both ways with panic and anxiety disorders actually causing chemical imbalances too.5. Dehydration
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Many things are said to cause panic attacks and most of these are generally physical triggers. And one of the common triggers is dehydration. This is because dehydration can bring your cortisol levels up and with high cortisol levels, you are probably very stressed and may easily begin to panic.6. Low blood sugar
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When you have low blood sugar, you may experience many of the same symptoms that anxiety has, including a fast heart rate, shakiness, difficulty concentrating, nausea, and irritability. And stress hormones are also released due to low blood sugar and can directly cause anxiety and the possibility of experiencing a panic attack.7. Allergies
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It is important to note that allergies themselves don't cause panic attacks. But living with allergies can be very stressful and, depending on your symptoms, can also be very uncomfortable. And managing this can make symptoms of anxiety much worse, meaning that you may be more prone to panic attacks.8. Lack of exercise
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Research, although currently quite limited, suggests that there is a strong link between a lack of exercise and the development of panic disorders. This might be because your body is not using up its energy when you don't move it much and this energy can turn into physical and mental tension which can result in anxiety and panic attacks.9. Poor nutrition
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There have been many studies into the link between diet and panic disorder and despite there not being any particular diet changes you can make to cure anxiety, watching what you eat might just help. Some studies have found a link between high-fat diets and anxiety, as well as an association with excess dietary sodium.10. Hyperventilating
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Hyperventilating can also be described as over-breathing and means that you're breathing more than your body needs. This is generally a common occurrence when you're having a panic attack and feel like you can't get enough air into your lungs. But hyperventilating for other reasons can also be a common cause of panic attacks.11. Extreme heat or cold
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Extreme temperatures, whether they're hot or cold, can increase the levels of cortisol in your system, which means more stress. Changes to your body temperature have been found to trigger anxiety and panic attacks, especially if you're hotter than usual.12. Overactive amygdala
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The amygdala is part of the brain that is part of the emotional side of the brain and this particular region usually fires up when we are feeling stressed or afraid as it releases our stress hormones for our fight or flight responses. If a person has an overactive amygdala, panic attacks, and anxiety disorders are common.13. Exercise
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Now, we've mentioned how a lack of exercise can cause panic attacks but the truth is that exercise, as amazing as it is for us, can be a surprising cause of panic attacks too. This exercise-induced panic usually occurs when the exercise is intense because it could stimulate our nervous system and create fight-or-flight symptoms.14. Stress
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Stress and particularly long periods of stress can be potential triggers for heightened anxiety and panic attacks. And panic attacks brought on by stress can also be unexpected and particularly intense and overwhelming. Panic attacks can be the cause of stress too because you might feel constantly stressed about when the next one might be.15. Trauma
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If a person has experienced any trauma in their life, no matter how long ago it might have been, this can be a really common trigger for panic attacks. And panic attacks might occur especially when something reminds you of the trauma that you experienced.16. Post-traumatic stress disorder
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A common symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is feeling afraid and feeling any kind of fear can lead to having a panic attack, especially if it is sudden and comes without warning. Other symptoms might include intrusive thoughts, distress at reminders of the trauma, as well as sweating, nausea, or shakiness.17. Social anxiety disorder
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People with social anxiety disorder typically have low self-esteem, worry about being judged, and tend to avoid eye contact with others. And sometimes, when faced with certain situations, it is common to experience panic attacks and other symptoms including nausea, heart palpitations, and sweating.18. Obsessive-compulsive disorder
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Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) suffers commonly experience panic attacks too and, quite often, the symptoms that are associated with panic attacks. These typically include heart palpitations, dizziness, hyperventilation, and even dissociation.19. Phobias
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People with phobias, no matter what they are, can have panic attacks which can come on and develop really suddenly. This can be quite frightening and some experts believe that some phobias can develop due to specific emotions such as fear and panic and the associations they make with a certain object.20. Agoraphobia
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Research has found that agoraphobia is a type of anxiety disorder that is characterized by the fear of being in situations where escape might be difficult, being outside the home alone, or being in a crowd to name a few. And just like a lot of the disorders listed, not only causes panic attacks but also can be a complication of panic disorder too.21. Hormonal changes
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Hormonal changes are also common triggers for panic attacks. Studies have found that fluctuating levels of certain hormones, including estrogen and testosterone might be related to how much anxiety you experience. And this is why you might experience more anxiety during typical times of hormonal change, including menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause.22. Thyroid problems
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People who suffer from thyroid diseases or an overactive thyroid are commonly found to suffer regular panic attacks. It has been found that thyroid disease can affect and alter the chemistry in the brain and this is considered to be a trigger for panic attacks.23. Chronic pain
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People who suffer from chronic pain, or have done it in the past, might experience panic attacks, particularly if they are afraid that the pain will return. And, unfortunately, anxiety is well-known to make people more sensitive and more focussed on their pain too, which can make it worse.24. Medications
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Certain medications are known to often cause anxiety and panic attacks. These include any medication with caffeine in the ingredients, ADHD medications, some asthma medication, seizure dr*gs, medicine for Parkinson's Disease, and thyroid medicine too.25. Nicotine
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Some people may smoke to attempt to relieve their anxiety symptoms and this is due to the fact that nicotine can induce an immediate sense of relaxation. But the thing is, these effects are only very temporary and quickly give way to unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. And nicotine also increases the heart rate and blood pressure which could cause symptoms of panic attacks.26. Caffeine
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Although you can't develop anxiety directly from caffeine, there have been studies that have found that caffeine can aggravate and maintain existing anxiety and panic disorders. Panic attacks can be a common side effect of caffeine consumption alongside headaches, nervousness, and restlessness.27. Substance abuse
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Alcohol or dr*gs can often cause panic attacks and studies have found that panic attacks can be very frequent in those that do misuse alcohol or dr*gs. Some studies have even found that when a person stops misusing substances, after a period of withdrawal more often than not, their panic attacks using reduce or completely subside.28. Withdrawal
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Anxiety and panic attacks are also symptoms of withdrawal, and withdrawal from alcohol or dr*gs, in particular, can cause frequent panic attacks. This is not unusual and tends to be one of the main symptoms and sufferers may experience dread, rapid breathing, and restlessness to name a few of the physical and mental symptoms.29. Medical conditions
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There are many medical conditions that can trigger anxiety and cause panic attacks too. These are mostly surrounding thyroid diseases and adrenal gland conditions but there are many other conditions that can cause panic attacks, including asthma and diabetes.30. Panic disorder
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People with panic or anxiety disorder tend to experience frequent and unexpected panic attacks that are characterized by various symptoms. First and foremost, a panic attack begins with a sudden wave of intense fear that can manifest in many physical symptoms. But it is important to note that not everyone who experiences a panic attack will develop the panic disorder and it is important to seek help if you're worried about your symptoms.31. A fear you didn't know you had
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Phobias can be the most obvious causes of a panic attack if you're presented with a situation where you're forced to face that fear. But there also might be fears you have that you haven't admitted to yourself yet, or a new fear that's surfaced, that can trigger panic without you knowing why at the time.32. You might even be afraid of a panic attack
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When you're someone who has anxiety and has suffered panic attacks before, you might start getting more anxious about the idea of having another panic attack. This in itself could make you feel stressed and scared and then trigger a panic attack in itself - which is typical!33. Addiction
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If you're suffering from addiction, there isn't any evidence to say that the addiction in itself can cause a panic disorder to develop, but it can mean that the focus of the addiction makes you less able to have control over yourself and your emotions, making panic triggers less easy to control.34. Violence in your past
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You may have suffered violence in your past, which can happen in many forms - maybe you were a child in a violent household, maybe you witnessed violence, or maybe you actually suffered violent attacks yourself. This could all develop into a panic disorder as a reaction.35. Disturbing thoughts
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We can't often control our thoughts, and some people have more intrusive and disturbing thoughts that others. That doesn't mean you're a bad person, you might just be prone to having weird or disturbing thoughts pop into your mind which can then cause a reaction of panic in you.36. General anesthesia
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Any sort of medical treatment can be enough to cause anxiety in people, but anesthesia can be a particular problem because patients going in for treatment and having to put under anesthesia can panic more at the idea of not being in control, and being at the mercy of hospital staff after the anesthesia kicks in.37. If you're particularly vulnerable to stress
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We've mentioned that extreme stress can push people to have panic attacks, but it may also be that you're a person particularly vulnerable to stress. This might mean that you panic more because even simple things can cause you greater stress than they would to others.38. Nothing at all!
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The annoying thing about panic attacks is that they can happen even without a trigger at all. There might be absolutely no warning or obvious cause for the attack and you may just be aware you're having one. You might be relaxing at home and still suffer from one.39. Overbreathing
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If there's one key piece of advice in dealing with a panic attack, it's to regulate your breathing and take deep breaths. This breathing control can work to ease an attack. This is also why overbreathing can actually trigger an attack, if you start to hyperventilate.40. Sudden changes of environment
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A sudden change of environment can impact you in every possible way: physically, emotionally and mentally. This is why it's even more possible to trigger a panic attack, because it's sort of like you're being 'attacked' on every front. Extreme changes (like temperature, smells, what you can see and feelings of familiarity) can all be triggers.41. 10 quick tips for dealing with a panic attack: remind yourself it will pass
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When you're suffering with a panic attack, the idea of 'when is this going to end?' can be a difficult one. When your brain is in overdrive, you'll be thinking that it's never going to end, you're going to die, you're going to pass out... any horrible thought. But just remind yourself that it will pass.42. Inhale lavender
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If you're prone to panic attacks, it might be a good idea to keep some lavender nearby in some form or another - lavender plant, lavender-scented pillow or lavender oil in a bottle. The scent of lavender can help you to relax and stay grounded, so this might help by inhaling it during a panic attack.43. Take deep breaths
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Steady breathing is so important during a panic attack. The panic attack itself can cause your breathing to become short and frantic, so focusing on drawing in very deep breaths and long exhales can help to get your breathing - and panic attack - under more control.44. Focus on an object
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It's important to feel as grounded as possible in the moment during a panic attack, instead of getting swept up by horrible thoughts or memories. Focusing on a physical object in your immediate environment can help you to have something to focus on.45. Find a safe spot to ride it out
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During a panic attack, it's important to feel safe in your direct environment in order to better deal with what's happening. You can't always control where you have a panic attack, but getting to a spot or place you feel safe can help. The most important factor to focus on is a quiet place - such as moving from a crowd to a spot that doesn't have any people.46. Walk around
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It can seem strange to try and walk around when you're suffering from a panic attack and feeling light-headed - you might want to sit down or curl up in a ball. But gentle walking - even just from room to room in your home - might help to relax your muscles and remove you from a stressful situation.47. Make a mantra to repeat
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This mantra can be a repeated phrase that means something to you, and can help to calm your thoughts during an attack. You can repeat the phrase out loud to try and relax yourself. It could be something very personal to you, or something more generic like "this will pass" or "I'm going to be okay".48. Picture your happy place
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When you're overwhelmed with dark or panicked thoughts or memories, thinking of a more positive place can help to relax your body and mind. Think of a happy place - a place you feel safe and are free of stress. It can be a room in your home, somewhere you visited on vacation or even a made up location in your mind, like a sunny meadow. Go there mentally.49. Speak to a doctor about medication
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If you're getting panic attacks often, you might want to speak to a doctor for prescribed medication that you can take when a panic attack happens. This medications can work very fast to slow a fast heartbeat and ease your symptoms. It may also help you to feel less panicked in general knowing that you have the medication should you need it.50. Get to know your triggers
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The best way to avoid a panic attack in the first place is to pay attention to your triggers, and then make sure to avoid any situation which has them. If you've had a few panic attacks before, think about what happened before the attack started. Things like small spaces, crowds, certain situations can all be triggers you can then avoid.What To Read Next
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