Panic Attacks Can Mimic a Heart Attack. Here Is What Experts Say to Do
Panic attacks can mimic heart attacks, so first-timers should seek urgent medical help, says psychologist Dr Sophie Gwinnett. Slowing your breathing and focusing on your surroundings can help ease symptoms
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A first panic attack can feel like a medical emergency. Symptoms often strike without warning, including a pounding heart, dizziness, sweating and chest tightness, along with an overwhelming sense that something is seriously wrong. Many first-timers fear they are having a heart attack.
Psychologist Dr Sophie Gwinnett, from Wolverhampton, told the BBC that while the experience can be frightening, panic attacks are a bit like turbulence on a plane, “uncomfortable, but not dangerous”.
What a panic attack feels like
Panic attacks, also known as anxiety attacks, can affect anyone, whatever their age or background, and even people with no history of anxiety. Television presenter Alison Hammond recently spoke publicly about having one on live TV while filming an episode of ITV’s This Morning, an account that shows how suddenly and frighteningly they can strike.
The mental health charity MIND describes panic attacks as an extreme anxiety response. They can develop quickly and bring very intense symptoms, both physical and mental.
Gwinnett said people often feel their heart racing, notice tightness in the chest and struggle to catch their breath.
“It’s very frequently misinterpreted as a heart attack,” Gwinnett said.
When to seek emergency help
Because the symptoms can closely resemble those of a heart problem, Gwinnett said anyone experiencing them for the first time should seek urgent medical attention.
“If this is the first time you’ve experienced these symptoms, dial 999 and get yourself to Accident and Emergency as soon as possible.”
People who regularly have panic attacks and recognize the symptoms may be able to treat an episode as a panic attack in the first instance. Gwinnett cautioned, however, that any episode that feels different from previous ones should be taken seriously.
“If the symptoms feel different, get yourself to hospital.”
What you can do during a panic attack
During an attack, people tend to fixate on the sensations in their bodies, Gwinnett said. If it is safe to do so, she advises staying where you are and trying to slow your breathing.
She also recommends turning your attention outward, toward your surroundings rather than what is happening inside your body.
“What is there around you in your environment?” she said. “Often what we can do is focus on the big things going on in your body.