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5 Responses to “what is the difference between an asthma attack and a panic attack?”
It could be a combination of both, but it could also be a seizure (partial or simple complex) see a doctor to be sure. I thought I was having panic attacks until I also started getting weird smells and tastes, after 4 years of all this I finally went to a doctor and was diagnosed with epilepsy.
Analise urself..do u experience attacks when confronted with a unpleasant situation..panic attacks r for moment where ur nt comfortable.in panic attacks psychological factors play a significant role in onset of pain…
Let’s start off with the important fact that you were a preemie. You probably had bronchopulmonary dyspasia. This caused some complications at first, but after two yeas, children tend to outgrow it (see link below).
Next, is asthma, there is constriction of the airways (bronchi) that reduces the amount of air that is going in and out. People can feel a tightness in their chest, cough and wheezing, and increasing shortness of breath. It can lead to collapse and death (in severe cases) because the respiratory muscles fatigue and can no longer keep up the respiratory effort.
In a panic attack, there is high anxiety that can be accompanied with hyperventilation. They may have a sense that they are suffocating, as if they were in a tightly enclosed space. But there is actually no respiratory compromise or shortage of Oxygen. “it gets harder to breathe, heart races, shaking aggressively, i feel woozy and light headed” is a good description of a panic attack. But those symptoms could also be present during an asthma attack. The difference is how long does this last (panic attacks tend to be shorter and self-limited), what was the trigger (panic attacks tend to be associated with certain phobias and thoughts) and was there wheezing/coughing and increasing shortness of breath(points to asthma).
It could be both asthma and anxiety, but it sounds more like a panic attack because when your friend came over the attack calmed down, and you experienced a racing heart, dizziness, etc.
If you haven’t seen a doctor, you should. He or she will either give you medication to stop the panic attacks, refer you to a counselor or suggest self-help techniques.
November 23rd, 2008 at 8:46 pm
Elizabeth Reilly
it could be both but what you describe sounds more like a panic attack
November 24th, 2008 at 6:51 am
Jerry Swinton
It could be a combination of both, but it could also be a seizure (partial or simple complex) see a doctor to be sure. I thought I was having panic attacks until I also started getting weird smells and tastes, after 4 years of all this I finally went to a doctor and was diagnosed with epilepsy.
November 24th, 2008 at 2:24 pm
Kathryn Cave
Analise urself..do u experience attacks when confronted with a unpleasant situation..panic attacks r for moment where ur nt comfortable.in panic attacks psychological factors play a significant role in onset of pain…
November 27th, 2008 at 6:17 pm
Nelson Higgin
Let’s start off with the important fact that you were a preemie. You probably had bronchopulmonary dyspasia. This caused some complications at first, but after two yeas, children tend to outgrow it (see link below).
Next, is asthma, there is constriction of the airways (bronchi) that reduces the amount of air that is going in and out. People can feel a tightness in their chest, cough and wheezing, and increasing shortness of breath. It can lead to collapse and death (in severe cases) because the respiratory muscles fatigue and can no longer keep up the respiratory effort.
In a panic attack, there is high anxiety that can be accompanied with hyperventilation. They may have a sense that they are suffocating, as if they were in a tightly enclosed space. But there is actually no respiratory compromise or shortage of Oxygen. “it gets harder to breathe, heart races, shaking aggressively, i feel woozy and light headed” is a good description of a panic attack. But those symptoms could also be present during an asthma attack. The difference is how long does this last (panic attacks tend to be shorter and self-limited), what was the trigger (panic attacks tend to be associated with certain phobias and thoughts) and was there wheezing/coughing and increasing shortness of breath(points to asthma).
November 29th, 2008 at 1:02 am
Elizabeth Reilly
It could be both asthma and anxiety, but it sounds more like a panic attack because when your friend came over the attack calmed down, and you experienced a racing heart, dizziness, etc.
If you haven’t seen a doctor, you should. He or she will either give you medication to stop the panic attacks, refer you to a counselor or suggest self-help techniques.
Good luck.