What Causes Panic Attacks?

Your day could start out like any other.  You get up, take the kids to school, and head to work.  Everything seems fine.  Suddenly, you start to feel like the walls are closing in on you.  An intense feeling of anxiety has swept over you and you start to breathe faster.  After a minute or two, you break out in sweat and you get a pain in your chest.  This is what it’s like to have a panic attack.  Millions of people go through this everyday.  Panic attacks are an extremely common problem.  Some people may only have one in their lifetime.  Others have them on a regular basis.  So what causes these attacks? 

There is no end to the possible causes of panic attacks.  Your lifestyle and environment can have a big effect on your chances of having panic attacks.  There are a number of reasons you may have more anxiety.  Money or marital problems are huge stress inducers.  Also, your chances can increase if you’re going through a lifestyle change like moving to a new city or even having a baby for the first time.  Traumatic events in your life like the death of a family member or being in an accident can be big problems, especially if you’re prone to panic attacks.  Basically anything that causes you stress is a factor for panic attacks.

Phobias or fears can also trigger an attack.  For instance if you have a social phobia, you may be prone to have attacks when you are forced to be in a large crowd of people.  When you’re faced with something that you fear, your body goes into “fight or flight” mode.  This will naturally cause an increase in your adrenaline which leads to a panic attack.  If you know that this is what’s causing your attack, the best solution may be to work on the phobia or fear itself.  By curing the root of the problem, you won’t have to worry about the anxiety it causes.

There are also a number of medications and products that can increase panic attacks.  Caffeine and other stimulants are culprits that can cause anxiety.  Hormones like birth control pills, steroids like Prednisone, high blood pressure medication, and even weight loss medication have been linked to panic attacks.  Your doctor will be able to tell you if this is a possible side effect of your medication.  There are also several herbal remedies that can have this effect, so you might want to consult a physician before taking anything.  You should also be aware that over the counter decongestants can be a problem. 

These are just a few of the many causes of panic attacks. If someone in your family has this problem, it’s possible that you inherited it.  If you can, the next time you have an attack, try to determine what could have caused it.  Think about the situation you were in, what was going on, if you took any type of medication, and any food or drinks you had.  You may be able to start to see a pattern.  Once you determine the cause of your attacks, you’ll have a much easier time treating them.