Can You Faint From A Panic Attack?

Panic attacks can be a fearful experience. Many people who experience a panic attack worry about dying. One common concern is whether or not you can faint or pass out from a panic attack. It's common to feel faint during a panic attack, but actually fainting is not very common. To lessen some of the stress that comes with these episodes, it's important to know how fainting and panic attacks are related.

 

What is a panic attack?

A panic attack is a sudden episode of intense fear or discomfort that leads to severe physical symptoms, even when there is no clear cause. It’s a normal way for your body to react to danger, stress, or excitement.

These attacks can make you feel things like:

• Fast heartbeat

• Shortness of breath

• Dizziness

• Chest tightness

• Stomach upset

• Sweating or shaking

• Feeling uneasiness

• Fear of going crazy, losing control, or passing out

  
  

Can You Faint From A Panic Attack?

A lot of people feel like they're going to faint when they have a panic attack, even though they aren't life-threatening. Here are some reasons you might feel this way:

• Hyperventilation and levels of carbon dioxide: When you have a panic attack, you breathe faster and shallower, which is called hyperventilation. This means that you exhale too much carbon dioxide, which changes the amount of oxygen in your blood.  This change can cause feelings of dizziness or faintness.

• Blood flow and blood pressure: Most panic attacks increase blood pressure and heart rate because your body prepares to fight or flee. However, people with phobias, like a fear of needles, a sudden drop in blood pressure can happen, which can lead to fainting episodes.

• Low blood pressure from over-breathing: Hyperventilation can actually drop blood flow to the brain by narrowing blood vessels, which can create blurred vision, dizziness, or a sense that you are about to faint.

• Nervous system overload: During a panic attack, your nervous system becomes hyperactive, which triggers an adrenaline rush that intensifies your focus on bodily sensations and creates the false impression of a physical collapse. Although loss of consciousness is rare, the mix of a sense of unreality, lightheadedness, and shifting circulation misleads you into believing that you are about to faint.

Can a panic attack feel like a heart attack?

Oftentimes, yes. A panic attack can be risky because the symptoms can be similar to a life-threatening heart attack. It can be fearful because both conditions can bring rapid heartbeat, chest pain, and shortness of breath. That’s why it’s essential to understand the difference between a panic attack and a heart attack.

How to help someone during a panic attack?

You need to be patient and stay with the person who is having a panic attack, and call 911. First and foremost is safety and we want to make sure the person isn’t having a cardiac arrest. Provide reassurance to the person and tell him/her, you are ok. Breathe normally since many people having a panic attack hold their breath and will hyperventilate. Breathing into a small brown bag helps restore their carbon dioxide when one is hyperventilating.  Bring the person outside to get fresh air, help them with their breathing by doing belly breathing or box breathing. 

How can I stop my panic attacks?

When you first start to panic, you need to focus on breathing slowly. A breathing exercise is one of the best ways to handle panic attacks. It may also help to focus on what’s around you, instead of what’s happening to your body and what you are thinking.  For instance, you can:

• Listen to music.

• Do something to divert your mind, and do something that you enjoy, like watching movies, walking, or reading books.

• Think about things you can hear, see, smell, and feel around you.

• Meditation:  Be aware of what your thoughts are and write them down, do some positive self-talk, get out of your head since we are often our worst enemies and self-critical. 

• Often times, it’s our thoughts that trigger panic attacks. Once we gain control over our thoughts to positive thinking, is when we can gain control over our panic attacks.
  

Conclusion

If panic attacks interfere with your daily life or you experience fainting episodes, it’s the right time to speak to  Cognitive Behavioral Therapists or CBT Therapists in California at Psyche Fitness, Inc.