Anxiety Attack Symptoms

When experiencing a panic attack for the first time it may be very difficult to identify the symptoms unless you've heard someone talking about them before or you've read some information on the condition.

Palpitations and chest tightness are two of the first anxiety attack symptoms, but these two could also point to heart disease. Throat dryness, accelerated sweating, shortness of breath and hyperventilation as well as a feeling of suffocation often accompany the pounding of the heart. Some people also experience dizziness, faintness, jiggling and trembling in the limbs together with an incredible panic that death is just around the corner and coming.

The intensity of the anxiety attack symptoms is incredible and explained by the swift reaction of the central nervous system to the imminence of danger. There is normally a trigger that unleashes the entire array of feelings and this could be a real-life situation or an internal psychological factor that is apparent or hidden to the sufferer himself/herself.

Under the influence of this intense stimulation, the cardiovascular system is the first that leaps into action, generating a first wave of anxiety attack symptoms. Blood is pumped into the extremities at a higher rate making them more efficient either for fight or for flight; plus, the blood vessels get constricted in less used body parts such as the skin.

This would explain one of the minor anxiety attack symptoms: paleness. It is this same blood vessel constriction that causes mouth dryness as well, because the reaction is experienced at the level of the mouth, kidneys and digestive system too. The body needs to get cooled down, which in fact explains why during such a panic episode you sweat a lot. Plus, another normal reaction of the body to the nervous command is to lighten the load in the digestive tract, which can easily cause an intense or rapid bowel movement as well as an upset stomach.

All the other anxiety attack symptoms represent normal body reactions when sensing danger. Breath acceleration is justified by the need to get more oxygen in the blood and thus in the muscles. More air would also allow you to scream louder. Then, the brain secrets endorphins that represent the most intense natural pain reliever, which means that the body gets prepared for an intense physical effort that should not be hindered by sore joints. More energy is consumed, fat is burned, the pupils dilate and your entire perception system sharpens. Consequently, the anxiety attack symptoms represent the normal body preparations when sensing fear.