What else could cause physical symptoms of panic disorder?
Obviously a real heart attack signaled by chest pains might cause the same physical symptoms as a panic attack. In fact, a panic attack is often confused with a heart attack because of the similarity in physical symptoms, such as pounding heart, clammy skin, chest pain, trembling or shaking and dizziness. Therefore, people with panic disorder make frequent visits to emergency rooms and medical specialists. It is important to have a primary care physician rule out any associated ailments. The “out-of-the-blue” feelings of terror accompanied by alarming physical symptoms are the key features of this panic disorder. It is also common for a person with panic disorder to feel an overwhelming fear of dying, which can heighten the desire to seek medical help. This is because the fear experienced in a panic attack is tantamount to the fear experienced during the “flight or fight” syndrome, when a person’s life really is threatened by an outside force. With children, the disorder may be difficu
