Panic attacks are sometimes referred to as anxiety attacks,
therefore these two terms are used interchangeably here. A panic
attack is a distinct episode of extreme apprehension when
individuals experience at least four of the following anxiety
attack symptoms1: - Heart palpitations, increased heart rate -
Dizziness, lightheadedness - Shortness of breath - Chest pain -
Tingling or numbing - Feeling of choking - Chills or hot flushes
- Derealization or depersonalization - Fear of going crazy or
losing control - Fear of dying Panic attacks can differ from one
person to the next, and symptoms of panic attacks and their
intensity can vary even within the same individual9. Generally,
individuals experience more than four symptoms during a panic
attack10, yet some people continue to have limited-symptom
attacks where they notice less than four symptoms. Some of these
limited-symptom attacks can be quite debilitating, but most of
them tend to be less intense and the heart rate does not
increase as much compared to “