Symptoms Of Anxiety Attack

Anxiety in simple words can be defined as a vague and unpleasant emotion experienced by a person as a result of some hardship and the fear of its consequences. Anxiousness is quite common in day to day life. For instance, we experience increased heartbeat before any big presentation or an exam, we experience a peculiar feeling in our stomachs when going on a blind date, we fret over family problems and feel insecure when we commit a mistake. The uncertainty of the consequence of a particular action or situation we have faced or are facing is what causes anxiety. However, there are people who experience these worries and fears blocking their normal day to day lives. When these worries and fears prevent a person from living his or her life, that person might suffer from anxiety disorder. An anxiety attack is nothing but a short and sudden period of intense fear or discomfort. These attacks if frequent can cause some harm to the person. Therefore, it is important for a person to know the anxiety attack symptoms to deal with it without undergoing further complications.

Anxiety Attack Symptoms

Shortness Of Breath
This is one of the most common of all symptoms that a person suffering from anxiety attack experiences. You might feel that your chest is not expanding enough to accommodate the air required by your body, and at other times you might feel suffocated as well. One thing that the patient should know is that these sensations are the results of the nerve impulses that are not harmful in any way.

Racing Heart And Palpitations
Another possible symptom of an anxiety attack in a person might be a reduced heart rate accompanied by palpitations. This is caused due to the release of adrenaline into the bloodstream due to increased anxiety. The release of adrenaline makes the heart skip beats, but this symptom is not harmful in anyway.

Chest Pain
Chest pain is another possible symptom a person suffering from anxiety might experience. Chest pain is caused due to muscle tension and might scare the patient. But, like any other symptom, chest pain will also not cause any harm and is definitely not a symptom of a heart attack. Deep breathing and relaxation exercises will help reduce the chest pain and other unpleasant symptoms.

Pale Skin
Patients with acute cases of anxiety might also experience their skin loosing color and getting pale. The blood flow during an anxious moment is diverted to the muscles thereby leaving less blood for the fine blood vessels that provide the pink and healthy color to your skin. However, you need not be scared as you will regain your skin color once your body gets back to normal after the attack.

Shaking Or Shivering
Shaking or shivering is a normal reaction of the body when we feel nervous or cold. The body shivers and shakes when the muscles contract which in turn creates friction between muscles and other body tissues. This friction causes heat thereby raising the body’s temperature.

Increased Depression And Suicidal Tendencies
Depression can be caused as a side effect of anxiety disorder. A person plagued with anxiety attacks might suffer from increased depression and can even experience suicidal tendencies. Such patients require immediate medical attention.

Sexual Dysfunction
Sexual dysfunction or impotency or failure to achieve or maintain an erection might also be one of the symptoms that men suffering from anxiety attacks and disorders might experience. Anxiety psychologically affects a person and can make him less active, even sexually.