What's The Difference Between A Heart Attack And Panic Attack?

People who experience a heart attack are very likely to panic. But, in some cases, people end up mistaking a panic attack for a heart attack. Knowing the difference between the two is crucial, because there are different treatment approaches to each. 

What panic attacks feel like

People who experience a panic attack will feel a stabbing-like pain in the middle of the chest. The onset is either sudden, or caused by extreme stress. Unlike in the case of a heart attack, the pain associated with a panic attack gets better in time. The symptoms will usually linger for 20 or a maximum of 30 minutes, and the person suffering from a panic attack will feel their heart racing. 

A lot of people mistake a panic attack for a heart attack because there are certain shared symptoms, such as sweating and shortness of breath. However, people having a panic attack might also feel a tingling sensation in their hands, as well as shakiness.

What heart attacks feel like

The most common symptom of a heart attack is angina. This is chest pain that’s described in different ways by the people who have experienced it. While some feel that this pain is somewhat of a pressure, others describe it as tightness or squeezing of the chest.

Whatever the case, not everyone that’s experiencing a heart attack will feel pain in the chest, as some say only their left arm hurts, while women are more likely to experience fatigue even a month before the actual event. It’s also not uncommon for pain to radiate to nearby parts of the body, such as the shoulders or the jaw. This is most common in women.

What causes a panic attack?

There is no strict evidence to suggest what lies at the base of a panic attack. There are a few suspected factors, such as extreme stress, genetic causes, a temperament with an extreme response in the face of negative emotions, or changes in brain function. Even if there are situations where panic attacks occur suddenly, they are generally triggered by certain events. 

What causes a heart attack?

Here, lumps are formed, which are referred to as plaque deposits. These deposits cause the artery walls to become narrow and stiff, and eventually cause a blood clot to form. Your coronary arteries are connected to different parts of the heart muscle. When these muscles no longer receive the amount of blood and oxygen needed to survive, the muscles deteriorate and eventually die. 

As this occurs, people end up having heart attacks. Unlike panic attacks, which occur quite suddenly, a heart attack can signal a person through different symptoms. The symptoms gradually become worse, making heart attacks a threat to a person’s life. 

Are panic attacks and heart attacks related?

However, panic attacks are known to cause great anxiety and stress, which are two risk factors for coronary artery disease, the primary culprit of a heart attack. 

In general, a panic attack is a consequence of an anxiety disorder, but it can also occur in more isolated circumstances. There is some scientific evidence that suggests people with panic attacks are more likely to develop heart disease because they have low heart rate variability (HRV, for short).

This medical term is used to indicate the amount of time between two heartbeats. This can vary significantly during the day, as one experiences shifts in emotions. People who have a high HRV are healthier, because it shows that their autonomic nervous system (which is responsible for controlling the heart rate) is functioning properly. 

Those with a low HRV don’t register a normal response with their heart, which makes them more likely to end up with heart disease. However, panic attacks are no guarantee of a heart attack. There is still plenty of research required to link the two with better precision. 

Conclusion

It can be rather tricky to distinguish a heart attack from a panic attack, especially since the two of them do share a lot of similarities. There are three main aspects to consider when you’re looking to tell the difference. 

First of all, the chest pain you feel during a panic attack is centered in the middle of the chest, and provides a stabbing sensation. The duration of the symptoms can also help tell the difference between the two: panic attacks shouldn’t last more than half an hour, while symptoms of heart attacks last longer and feel worse as time passes.

The onset of the symptoms is the third hint. Even if both these problems can occur suddenly, heart attacks are sometimes triggered by physical exertion.