After a panic attack, the victim will sometimes suffer the symptom of tightness in chest. Chest tightness mostly strike patients who have mild and severe levels of anxiety. Many people tend to mistake chest tightness with the onset of a heart attack. However, the former is often less severe and less painful than an actual heart attack.
Many people describe chest tightness as the pressure on the chest cavity area. During this, the patient’s heart beat will begin to quicken and he experiences a shortness of breath. If he does not have the slightest clue what is happening to him, he becomes fraught with fear. Fear is often an accompanying emotional symptom.
Difference between panic tightness and heart attack
Chest tightness arising from panic attacks is always mistaken as heart attacks to the fine distinction between the two. There is however a stark difference in the intensity of the pains. Chest tightness is less threatening to one’s health than a heart attack. Not realising this, the patient may be admitted into a hospital for observation. By the time a doctor sees him his chest tightness and discomfort would have subsided. Knowing the difference between the two will allow one to save time and seek the right kind of treatment.
A heart attack feels more like a crushing and squeezing sensation in the chest, unlike the tightness experienced in an anxiety attack. The pain of a heart attack spreads rapidly to the shoulders, neck and jaw, and feeling lightheaded and faint. These symptoms may not be experienced in a panic attack.
How tightness in the chest happens
Panic attacks occur at the central nervous system when the fight or flight response is triggered. This is the way the body reacts to either real or perceived threats. Once the response takes hold, the victim experiences chest tightness as the brain processes the danger and heightens the anxiety level. This is why some people begin to react frantically even during trivial situations. Help must be sought immediately to help curb these attacks.
Tightness in the chest either lasts throughout the entire span of the anxiety attack or it comes and goes at intervals. The feeling of pain, one that’s similar to being stabbed or pierced in the chest is endured by the victim. This pain then travels to the oesophagus, and the condition is aggravated when one lies on his back.
A cure for chest tightness
Relaxation techniques or meditation can help one suppress chest tightness. Sit yourself down and begin to inhale through your nostrils and exhale through the mouth. Focus your mind on the breathing and do not become distracted with fearful thoughts.
Prescription drugs can help fight the symptoms of panic attacks and alleviate the chest pain. Most victims bring along an inhaler that they can use when their chest tightness acts up.
The best cure is still prevention. Patients who suffer from tightness in the chest by anxiety should always rationalise their fears and try to take control of the predicament. By understanding the root causes of one’s anxiety and seek prompt treatment he too can lead a life of normalcy and freed of anxiety symptoms.
Trevor Mosley is an ex-sufferer of anxiety and panic attacks. Visit his website today in order to discover how you can conquer your anxiety and panic attacks for good.