A panic attack, as the words indicate, is some sort of intense fear that grips you quite suddenly, without any warning whatsoever. You panic under a very strong bout of anxiety or fear about losing physical and mental control. You may feel emotionally unstable and your behavior may change from steady to erratic. This is because a panic attack makes you feel physically and mentally debilitated. A feeling of utter helplessness may overwhelm you when under a panic attack. The two most important expressions that describe it closely are 'sudden' or 'abrupt' and 'intense fear'. When you suffer repeated panic attacks at frequent, regular or irregular intervals, you are said to be suffering from a panic disorder.

When a panic attack occurs, you may experience any one or more of the following symptoms: pounding or racing of your heart, rapid breathing, pain in the chest, shortness of breath, a feeling of getting choked, a tightness in the throat or experiencing some strong difficulty in swallowing, dizziness, nausea, abdominal cramps, trembling, experiencing chills, feet and hands becoming numb or experiencing a tingling sensation, a feeling of going crazy and losing control altogether, and even a strong fear of dying suddenly. Some other mental conditions accompany an episode of a panic attack. These include depression and some phobias, especially, agoraphobia (fear of public places). It is not necessary for a person to suffer a panic attack when alone or only at certain times. A panic attack may occur at any time and at any place, even when a person is sleeping.

You wonder as to what causes a panic attack. Scientists and medical researchers are not sure about exactly what triggers it. If someone close in your family circle has had a panic attack, the probability of your getting it increases, as there could be a genetic connection for it to occur. You do not need to be under the impression that any obvious intense stress causes a panic attack, as it may occur even without it. An imaginary or sub-conscious life-threatening situation may activate your body's alarm system resulting in a panic attack. A serious illness that may put you under severe stress may cause it, but it does not occur in all cases of serious illness. A phobia that you have may inspire a panic attack, but it will subside the moment the object of your phobia disappears. It could also occur as a side effect of some medication you take for the first time or even after using it for quite some time. There is therefore no way you can pinpoint the cause for a panic attack, as different people may have different situations in which they experience it.

Only a doctor, after examining you and assessing your health condition in detail, can determine whether you have a panic attack or a panic disorder. You may not really be suffering from a panic attack although you may experience symptoms similar to those of a panic attack. Therefore, seeking a medical expert's advice in such matters is always the best thing to do. A psychiatrist or a psychologist might be of some help. Certain cases of panic attack may require medication and some may need behavior therapy and life style changes. In some other cases, the person concerned may have just to learn proper relaxation techniques in order to get rid of the possibility of a panic attack occurring.