Distinguishes a panic attack from a heart problem

• April 25, 2024

Panic attacks and heart attacks have similar symptoms. The 2 stimulate the body response that produces the desire to "fight or run"; but if the symptoms last for more than 2 or 3 minutes , or if the pain goes away and then comes back, you may have heart disease. Only after undergoing studies beyond the standard electrocardiogram can you know if the pain comes from the heart. This is indicated in a document by womensheart.org

When suffering from panic attacks, for the first time, it is very common for the patient to confuse the symptoms with those of a heart attack. When the crisis occurs, the body reacts by segregating the stress hormones . Symptoms may include chest pain, suffocation, palpitations, sweating and a premonition of impending disaster; However, there are extreme cases in which there is intermittent burning in the chest, dizziness, weakness, nausea and severe indigestion, as well as a sense of panic.

Diagnosis is complicated in women

It is more difficult to diagnose heart disease in the women. The symptoms may be the same as those of a crisis of panic or they can be even milder. Many women only suffer a slight discomfort in the chest ("Oppression") or suffer from severe indigestion, accompanied by dizziness and weakness, without having any pain on the chest.

You can get more accurate results for women, using a combination of tests; how to undergo a stress test combined with an echocardiogram.

Video Medicine: Heart Attack vs. Panic Attack (April 2024).