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| Meta Title | 14 Signs You Could Be Having a Panic Attack |
| Meta Description | Panic attack symptoms include shortness of breath, dizziness, and feeling like you're losing control. While you may have physical symptoms, you are not in danger. |
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| Boilerpipe Text | A panic attack is an abrupt surge of intense fear or discomfort, setting off a jumble of unpleasant feelings.
Panic attacks can be very distressing, but are not physically harmful. Some people delay care, fearing the stigma that can come with a psychiatric diagnosis.
The thing is, you're not in any physical danger, explained
Russell Hunter
, PsyD, a clinical psychologist in private practice in Northern Virginia and author of Attacking Panic: The Power To Be Calm. According to Hunter, a panic attack is more of "a false alarm."
One minute you're fine and the next you're in full-blown panic mode. What's going on? It's your body's
fight-or-flight
response kicking in.
Hormones are released, your breathing accelerates, and your blood sugar spikes, Hunter told
Health
.
Some people are even bolted awake at night from so-called nocturnal panic attacks.
A panic attack is your body's response to some perceived threat, albeit one that may not be readily apparent. A person's survival-mode instincts may be excessive.
Why some people experience these attacks isn't entirely clear, although a family history of panic attacks, stressful life events, and environmental factors are thought to may play a role.
Panic attacks often begin in a person's teens or before the age of 25, but they can also strike children and adults in their 30s and beyond.
Symptoms of a panic attack often peak within minutes before starting to lessen. After a certain amount of time, you might realize "there's nothing dangerous happening," Hunter said.
A racing or pounding heart is a common symptom of a panic attack. You might even have
chest pain
or discomfort. That's why people having panic attacks often believe they're having a heart attack. But once in the hospital, they start to feel better as "the danger is starting to go away," Hunter said.
Shortness of breath
and hyperventilation are clues that you could be in panic mode. "Breathing disruptions are one of the most universal symptoms of panic attacks," said
Lily Brown
, PhD, assistant professor of psychology and director at the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine.
People often report feeling
dizzy
or lightheaded during a panic attack. They're often afraid they're going to faint. When these feelings surface, a person typically will sit with their head between their legs.
"What happens is they never have the opportunity to learn if they just ride out that feeling, it will eventually subside," Brown explained. "It's extremely uncommon for a person to actually faint in the context of a panic attack," she said.
If you're having a panic attack, you might feel like you're losing control or that you might die.
In certain social situations, people with social anxiety disorder may experience similar sensations, such as fear and trembling.
However, research suggests that these awful sensations are much more common in people with panic disorder than with social anxiety disorder.
Panic attacks can cause a pins-and-needles feeling or numbness in your extremities.
In rare instances, Hunter said, you can have more severe symptoms, like pseudoseizures.
"People will literally fall down to the ground and convulse," he explained. But there's no abnormal functioning of the brain; rather, it's brought on by severe psychological distress, which could happen during a panic attack, he said.
You might feel like you're detached from yourself or your surroundings, an outsider to your own experience. It's a feeling of unreality, like in a dream, Hunter said. This symptom is often referred to as
derealization
.¹²
With a panic attack comes a surge of adrenaline that boosts blood flow to the extremities, Hunter explained. All of a sudden, you're hot. You sweat and shiver to cool the body down. Brown said patients will often report forehead sweating or palm sweating, although others may report sweating all over.
During a panic attack, your body releases stress hormones. "People will get tense, their muscles will start to contract, including in the throat and the chest area," Hunter said.
No surprise here: When you're anxious, you can feel it in your gut. Stress and anxiety mess with your digestive tract. Nausea and abdominal distress, like stomach pain, are common symptoms.
"A person who is very, very fearful about having the next panic attack might do a lot of things to prevent those panic attacks," Brown explained. They begin to avoid activities like exercise, which raises their heart rate and quickens their breathing. They focus on those feelings, which makes them more anxious, ultimately leading them "down the rabbit hole of having more and more [panic attacks]."
But not everyone who has panic attacks goes on to develop panic disorder, she added. In order to be diagnosed with panic disorder, you must have one or more panic attacks followed by at least one month of fear related to having another panic attack or acting in ways to avoid panic attacks.
People who have panic attacks quickly deplete the resources their bodies have marshaled to fend off the presumed danger. Sooner or later, that burst of energy, fueled by a spike in blood sugar, will get spent and "they're going to crash," Hunter explained.
After the panic attack subsides, he said, they feel "wiped out."
While they tend to be terrifying, the good news is panic attacks can be easy to spot if you know what to look out for. And just because you experience a panic attack doesn't mean it will happen again. If you're concerned about future occurrences, reach out to your health care provider and come up with a plan so you feel empowered to deal with those sensations should they arise. |
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# 14 Signs You Could Be Having a Panic Attack
By
[Karen Pallarito](https://www.health.com/author/karen-pallarito)
![KP Headshot IMG\_1661]()
:max_bytes\(150000\):strip_icc\(\)/KP-Headshot-IMG_1661-0d48c6ea46f14ab19a91e7b121b49f59.jpg)
[Karen Pallarito](https://www.health.com/author/karen-pallarito)
Karen is a senior editor at Health, where she produces health condition “explainers” backed by current science.
[health's editorial guidelines](https://www.health.com/health-com-s-editorial-process-5224046)
Updated on February 13, 2026
Medically reviewed by
[Michael MacIntyre, MD](https://www.health.com/author/michael-macintyre-md)
![Michael MacIntyre]()
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Medically reviewed by [Michael MacIntyre, MD](https://www.health.com/author/michael-macintyre-md)
Michael MacIntyre, MD, is a board-certified general and forensic psychiatrist practicing general psychiatry at the Veterans Affairs Healthcare System in Los Angeles.
[learn more](https://www.health.com/health-com-s-medical-expert-board-5224047)
- Panic attacks can cause shortness of breath, dizziness, and a feeling like you're losing control.
- You might feel overwhelmed or detached, but you are not in physical danger.
- Stress hormones are released during panic attacks, causing muscle tension and stomach problems.
A panic attack is an abrupt surge of intense fear or discomfort, setting off a jumble of unpleasant feelings. Panic attacks can be very distressing, but are not physically harmful. Some people delay care, fearing the stigma that can come with a psychiatric diagnosis.
The thing is, you're not in any physical danger, explained [Russell Hunter](https://drrussellahunterpsyd.com/), PsyD, a clinical psychologist in private practice in Northern Virginia and author of Attacking Panic: The Power To Be Calm. According to Hunter, a panic attack is more of "a false alarm."
## 1\. A Panic Attack Comes on Quickly
One minute you're fine and the next you're in full-blown panic mode. What's going on? It's your body's [fight-or-flight](https://www.health.com/fight-flight-freeze-fawn-8348342) response kicking in. Hormones are released, your breathing accelerates, and your blood sugar spikes, Hunter told *Health*.
Some people are even bolted awake at night from so-called nocturnal panic attacks.
## 2\. There May Be No Obvious Trigger
A panic attack is your body's response to some perceived threat, albeit one that may not be readily apparent. A person's survival-mode instincts may be excessive.
Why some people experience these attacks isn't entirely clear, although a family history of panic attacks, stressful life events, and environmental factors are thought to may play a role.
Panic attacks often begin in a person's teens or before the age of 25, but they can also strike children and adults in their 30s and beyond.
## 3\. It's Short-Lived
Symptoms of a panic attack often peak within minutes before starting to lessen. After a certain amount of time, you might realize "there's nothing dangerous happening," Hunter said.
## 4\. You May Think You're Having a Heart Attack
A racing or pounding heart is a common symptom of a panic attack. You might even have [chest pain](https://www.health.com/condition/heart-disease/causes-of-chest-pain) or discomfort. That's why people having panic attacks often believe they're having a heart attack. But once in the hospital, they start to feel better as "the danger is starting to go away," Hunter said.
## 5\. It Can Be Hard to Catch Your Breath
[Shortness of breath](https://www.health.com/chest-tightness-7370909) and hyperventilation are clues that you could be in panic mode. "Breathing disruptions are one of the most universal symptoms of panic attacks," said [Lily Brown](https://www.med.upenn.edu/ctsa/LilyBrownPhD.html), PhD, assistant professor of psychology and director at the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine.
## 6\. You May Think You'll Faint
People often report feeling [dizzy](https://www.health.com/condition/vertigo/dizziness-causes) or lightheaded during a panic attack. They're often afraid they're going to faint. When these feelings surface, a person typically will sit with their head between their legs.
"What happens is they never have the opportunity to learn if they just ride out that feeling, it will eventually subside," Brown explained. "It's extremely uncommon for a person to actually faint in the context of a panic attack," she said.
## 7\. There's a Feeling of Doom
If you're having a panic attack, you might feel like you're losing control or that you might die.
In certain social situations, people with social anxiety disorder may experience similar sensations, such as fear and trembling. However, research suggests that these awful sensations are much more common in people with panic disorder than with social anxiety disorder.
## 8\. Your Hands Get Tingly
Panic attacks can cause a pins-and-needles feeling or numbness in your extremities. In rare instances, Hunter said, you can have more severe symptoms, like pseudoseizures.
"People will literally fall down to the ground and convulse," he explained. But there's no abnormal functioning of the brain; rather, it's brought on by severe psychological distress, which could happen during a panic attack, he said.
## 9\. It's Like an Out-of-Body Experience
You might feel like you're detached from yourself or your surroundings, an outsider to your own experience. It's a feeling of unreality, like in a dream, Hunter said. This symptom is often referred to as [derealization](https://www.health.com/derealization-7971816).¹²
## 10\. You Get Sweaty or Have Chills
With a panic attack comes a surge of adrenaline that boosts blood flow to the extremities, Hunter explained. All of a sudden, you're hot. You sweat and shiver to cool the body down. Brown said patients will often report forehead sweating or palm sweating, although others may report sweating all over.
## 11\. You May Feel Like You're Choking
During a panic attack, your body releases stress hormones. "People will get tense, their muscles will start to contract, including in the throat and the chest area," Hunter said.
## 12\. Your Stomach Might Hurt
No surprise here: When you're anxious, you can feel it in your gut. Stress and anxiety mess with your digestive tract. Nausea and abdominal distress, like stomach pain, are common symptoms.
## 13\. You Avoid Situations That Trigger Similar Symptoms
"A person who is very, very fearful about having the next panic attack might do a lot of things to prevent those panic attacks," Brown explained. They begin to avoid activities like exercise, which raises their heart rate and quickens their breathing. They focus on those feelings, which makes them more anxious, ultimately leading them "down the rabbit hole of having more and more \[panic attacks\]."
But not everyone who has panic attacks goes on to develop panic disorder, she added. In order to be diagnosed with panic disorder, you must have one or more panic attacks followed by at least one month of fear related to having another panic attack or acting in ways to avoid panic attacks.
## 14\. You Feel Exhausted Afterward
People who have panic attacks quickly deplete the resources their bodies have marshaled to fend off the presumed danger. Sooner or later, that burst of energy, fueled by a spike in blood sugar, will get spent and "they're going to crash," Hunter explained.
After the panic attack subsides, he said, they feel "wiped out."
While they tend to be terrifying, the good news is panic attacks can be easy to spot if you know what to look out for. And just because you experience a panic attack doesn't mean it will happen again. If you're concerned about future occurrences, reach out to your health care provider and come up with a plan so you feel empowered to deal with those sensations should they arise.
### Next Steps
- Track your panic symptoms, noting frequency and triggers if possible.
- Learn and practice breathing techniques to manage your symptoms.
- Consult a healthcare provider to discuss your symptoms and treatment options.
Updated by
[Sarah Vanbuskirk](https://www.health.com/sarah-vanbuskirk-11772503)
![Headshot of Sarah Vanbuskirk]()
:max_bytes\(150000\):strip_icc\(\)/Headshot-SarahVanbuskirk-d6786f7e39fb4085b5f6fa95dca9a2e1.png)
[Sarah Vanbuskirk](https://www.health.com/sarah-vanbuskirk-11772503)
Sarah Vanbuskirk is an experienced journalist and editor who has written for a wide range of local and national publications and websites.
[learn more](https://www.health.com/about-us-8415145)
Read more:
- [Health Conditions A-Z](https://www.health.com/diseases-conditions)
- [Mental Illness](https://www.health.com/condition/mental-health-conditions)
- [Anxiety](https://www.health.com/condition/anxiety)
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10 Sources
Health.com uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our [editorial process](https://www.health.com/health-com-s-editorial-process-5224046) to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
1. National Library of Medicine. [Panic disorder and agoraphobia criteria changes from DSM-IV to DSM-5](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519704/table/ch3.t10/).
2. Kolek A, Prasko J, Ociskova M, et al. ["Don´t tell me that I am hysterical": Unmet needs of patients with panic disorder.](https://www.nel.edu/userfiles/articlesnew/1617015400_41_78_kolek_370-pdf.pdf) *Neuroendocrinology Letters*. 2020;41(7-8):370-384.
3. Manjunatha N, Ram D. [Panic disorder in general medical practice- A narrative review](http://doi.org/10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_888_21). *J Family Med Prim Care*. 2022;11(3):861-869. doi:10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc\_888\_21
4. American Psychological Association. [Answers to your questions about panic disorder](https://www.apa.org/topics/anxiety/panic-disorder).
5. Nakamura M, Sugiura T, Nishida S, Komada Y, Inoue Y. [Is nocturnal panic a distinct disease category? Comparison of clinical characteristics among patients with primary nocturnal panic, daytime panic, and coexistence of nocturnal and daytime panic](https://doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.2666). *J Clin Sleep Med*. 2013;9(5):461-467. doi:10.5664/jcsm.2666
6. National Institute of Mental Health. [Panic disorder: when fear overwhelms](https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/panic-disorder-when-fear-overwhelms).
7. National Library of Medicine. [Panic disorder and agoraphobia criteria changes from DSM-IV to DSM-5](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519704/table/ch3.t10/).
8. National Library of Medicine. [Social anxiety disorder](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK555890/).
9. Brown LA, LeBeau R, Liao B, Niles AN, Glenn D, Craske MG. [A comparison of the nature and correlates of panic attacks in the context of Panic Disorder and Social Anxiety Disorder](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26687110/). *Psychiatry Research*. 2016;235:69-76. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2015.11.048
10. American Academy of Family Physicians. [Panic disorders and panic attacks](https://familydoctor.org/condition/panic-disorder/).
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| Readable Markdown | A panic attack is an abrupt surge of intense fear or discomfort, setting off a jumble of unpleasant feelings. Panic attacks can be very distressing, but are not physically harmful. Some people delay care, fearing the stigma that can come with a psychiatric diagnosis.
The thing is, you're not in any physical danger, explained [Russell Hunter](https://drrussellahunterpsyd.com/), PsyD, a clinical psychologist in private practice in Northern Virginia and author of Attacking Panic: The Power To Be Calm. According to Hunter, a panic attack is more of "a false alarm."
One minute you're fine and the next you're in full-blown panic mode. What's going on? It's your body's [fight-or-flight](https://www.health.com/fight-flight-freeze-fawn-8348342) response kicking in. Hormones are released, your breathing accelerates, and your blood sugar spikes, Hunter told *Health*.
Some people are even bolted awake at night from so-called nocturnal panic attacks.
A panic attack is your body's response to some perceived threat, albeit one that may not be readily apparent. A person's survival-mode instincts may be excessive.
Why some people experience these attacks isn't entirely clear, although a family history of panic attacks, stressful life events, and environmental factors are thought to may play a role.
Panic attacks often begin in a person's teens or before the age of 25, but they can also strike children and adults in their 30s and beyond.
Symptoms of a panic attack often peak within minutes before starting to lessen. After a certain amount of time, you might realize "there's nothing dangerous happening," Hunter said.
A racing or pounding heart is a common symptom of a panic attack. You might even have [chest pain](https://www.health.com/condition/heart-disease/causes-of-chest-pain) or discomfort. That's why people having panic attacks often believe they're having a heart attack. But once in the hospital, they start to feel better as "the danger is starting to go away," Hunter said.
[Shortness of breath](https://www.health.com/chest-tightness-7370909) and hyperventilation are clues that you could be in panic mode. "Breathing disruptions are one of the most universal symptoms of panic attacks," said [Lily Brown](https://www.med.upenn.edu/ctsa/LilyBrownPhD.html), PhD, assistant professor of psychology and director at the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine.
People often report feeling [dizzy](https://www.health.com/condition/vertigo/dizziness-causes) or lightheaded during a panic attack. They're often afraid they're going to faint. When these feelings surface, a person typically will sit with their head between their legs.
"What happens is they never have the opportunity to learn if they just ride out that feeling, it will eventually subside," Brown explained. "It's extremely uncommon for a person to actually faint in the context of a panic attack," she said.
If you're having a panic attack, you might feel like you're losing control or that you might die.
In certain social situations, people with social anxiety disorder may experience similar sensations, such as fear and trembling. However, research suggests that these awful sensations are much more common in people with panic disorder than with social anxiety disorder.
Panic attacks can cause a pins-and-needles feeling or numbness in your extremities. In rare instances, Hunter said, you can have more severe symptoms, like pseudoseizures.
"People will literally fall down to the ground and convulse," he explained. But there's no abnormal functioning of the brain; rather, it's brought on by severe psychological distress, which could happen during a panic attack, he said.
You might feel like you're detached from yourself or your surroundings, an outsider to your own experience. It's a feeling of unreality, like in a dream, Hunter said. This symptom is often referred to as [derealization](https://www.health.com/derealization-7971816).¹²
With a panic attack comes a surge of adrenaline that boosts blood flow to the extremities, Hunter explained. All of a sudden, you're hot. You sweat and shiver to cool the body down. Brown said patients will often report forehead sweating or palm sweating, although others may report sweating all over.
During a panic attack, your body releases stress hormones. "People will get tense, their muscles will start to contract, including in the throat and the chest area," Hunter said.
No surprise here: When you're anxious, you can feel it in your gut. Stress and anxiety mess with your digestive tract. Nausea and abdominal distress, like stomach pain, are common symptoms.
"A person who is very, very fearful about having the next panic attack might do a lot of things to prevent those panic attacks," Brown explained. They begin to avoid activities like exercise, which raises their heart rate and quickens their breathing. They focus on those feelings, which makes them more anxious, ultimately leading them "down the rabbit hole of having more and more \[panic attacks\]."
But not everyone who has panic attacks goes on to develop panic disorder, she added. In order to be diagnosed with panic disorder, you must have one or more panic attacks followed by at least one month of fear related to having another panic attack or acting in ways to avoid panic attacks.
People who have panic attacks quickly deplete the resources their bodies have marshaled to fend off the presumed danger. Sooner or later, that burst of energy, fueled by a spike in blood sugar, will get spent and "they're going to crash," Hunter explained.
After the panic attack subsides, he said, they feel "wiped out."
While they tend to be terrifying, the good news is panic attacks can be easy to spot if you know what to look out for. And just because you experience a panic attack doesn't mean it will happen again. If you're concerned about future occurrences, reach out to your health care provider and come up with a plan so you feel empowered to deal with those sensations should they arise. |
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