Anxiety Attack Symptoms

When experiencing a panic attack for the first time it may be very difficult to identify the symptoms unless you've heard someone talking about them before or you've read some information on the condition. Palpitations and chest tightness are the anxiety attack symptoms to become manifest first, but these two could also point to heart disease. Throat dryness, accelerated sweating, shortness of breath and hyperventilation as well as a feeling of suffocation go hand in hand with heart pounding. Some people also experience dizziness, faintness, jiggling and trembling in the limbs together with an incredible panic that death is just around the corner and coming.

The intensity of the anxiety attack symptoms is incredible and explained by the swift reaction of the central nervous system to the imminence of danger. A psychological factor or trigger is responsible for unleashing the ordeal you're put through, but this could also be the response to a real physical on the edge situation. Because of this intense stimulation, the cardiovascular system is the first that leaps into action, starting a first wave of anxiety attack symptoms. The heart pumps blood towards the extremities preparing the body for running or for fighting; plus, the blood vessels constrict in the skin and other less used body

parts to compensate for the flooding of the muscles.

Skin paleness thus becomes one of the minor anxiety attack symptoms. It is this same blood vessel constriction that causes mouth dryness as well, because the reaction is experienced at the level of the mouth, kidneys and digestive system too. The body has to be cooled down, which in fact explains why during such a panic episode you sweat a lot. Plus, the nervous system sends the unload message to the digestive track which may result in other anxiety attack symptoms such as upset stomach or rapid bowel movement.

All the rest of the anxiety attack symptoms are characterized as normal body reactions in the face of danger. Breath acceleration is justified by the need to get more oxygen in the blood and thus in the muscles. More air would also allow you to scream louder. Then, the brain secrets endorphins that represent the most intense natural pain reliever, which means that the body gets prepared for an intense physical effort that should not be hindered by sore joints. The perception system sharpens, the pupils get dilated to enhance vision and more energy is burned, all for the purpose of facing the danger that causes fear. Consequently, the anxiety attack symptoms represent the normal body preparations when sensing fear.