Sometimes the panic attacks can form a certain kind of cyclical chain and occur frequently. They can be between 15 seconds and 30 minutes in duration. However, sometimes they may last more than 30 minutes in severe cases. Every time these attacks occur, they cause a certain amount of anxiety and discomfort to the individual. The panic attacks can cause long lasting effects on an individual and the effects that individuals experience vary from person to person.

The severe sufferers of panic attack often complain about getting a sense of dying or having a heart attack, they kind of loose control over themselves and often feel difficulty in breathing. The sufferer could experience a nauseated feeling, flashing vision, numb sensation, etc. all these symptoms arise due to the hormone imbalance in the body. Some of the common symptoms observed during a panic attack may include; shortness of breath, trembling, increased heart beat, chest pain, hot or cold flashes, a nauseated feeling, burning sensations, sweating, dizziness, headaches, etc. These are few of the symptoms that can cause the sufferer additional anxiety.

The causes of panic attacks can be different from one individual to the next. The cause of panic attacks can also vary from one attack to the next. Some get panic attacks as it may run in the sufferer’s family so a person having family history concerning panic attacks may inherit this disorder as well. Other causes of panic attack can be biological in nature such as the deficiency of vitamin B, which can lead to anxiety attacks. Some other biological causes can be; hypoglycemia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, hyperthyroidism, etc. people having phobias usually suffer from panic attacks.

There may be additional triggers that may result in this disorder. For instance, a personal loss may result in panic attack. Sometimes wrong use or over dose of certain medications can result in panic attacks. People who are recovering drug addicts or alcoholics can develop this disorder as a part of their recovery.

A panic attack sufferer may first feel a sudden amount of fear and anxiety, which leads to the release of the hormone epinephrine, which causes more physical distress activity to the sufferer’s body. While the sufferer’s body is over working it results in an increased heart rate, shortness of breath and increased sweating. The whole process leads to decreased levels of carbon dioxide in the lungs and in the blood, which affects the pH level of blood. This all results in other symptoms associated with panic disorder like numbness of parts of or the whole body, a nauseated feeling, dizziness, tingling and light-headedness.

Hence, panic attack disorder is a period of intense fear and anxiety in which many discomforting symptoms occur within a few minutes time and reach their peak quickly.