Heart attack or panic attack? Let's learn to distinguish the symptoms ...

Chest or arm pains, difficulty in breathing, and tremors are all symptoms that frighten us to such an extent that we immediately run to the doctor.

Being alarmed is the correct reaction, as these specific pains may very well be associated with a heart attack, but often these are just signals that inform us that we are having a panic attack.

An anxiety (or panic) attack and a heart attack, in fact, have very similar symptoms such as severe chest pain, sweating, itching, respiratory problems, and nausea.

The fact that a heart attack can also cause panic makes everything even more confusing. However, one can learn to clearly distinguish the symptoms of both illnesses.

via healthyplace.com

How to recognize a heart attack:

• The pain in the chest is described as overwhelming and usually appears in the middle of the chest. 
• Pain can also be felt in the left arm and shoulder. 
• It is not uncommon for pain to radiate to the neck, teeth, and jaw. 
• Pain intensity can vary and lasts for more than 5 minutes, without breathing being affected. 
• There is an itching sensation, often felt only in the left arm. 
• You start to experience a cold sweat and feel a sense of nausea. 
• The feeling of fear and panic increases in relation to chest pain and concern about dying.

In general, in the event of a heart attack, people do not experience difficulty in breathing, except when it is the heart attack itself that causes panic attacks.

How to recognize a panic attack:

A panic attack can happen in the most common of situations and is caused by a multitude of reasons that should be examined with the help of the appropriate experts. In any case, we can learn to recognize the symptoms of an anxiety attack: 

• The symptoms of an anxiety attack usually reach its peak after 10 minutes. 
• Pain is located in the chest area and occurs intermittently: it comes and goes. 
• Feelings of burning and numbness are felt not only in the left arm but also in the right arm, leg, and fingers. 
• The person affected by a panic attack does not think rationally and is overwhelmed by sudden unreasonable fears. 

In any case, if you cannot understand the nature of your pain, go straight to a doctor without waiting. Remember: In both cases, waiting is NOT an option!