How likely is it that a person who is experiencing a panic attack will have an actual heart attack?
And, how many people who have an actual panic attack and subsequently have a heart attack die?
The real issue is the ongoing level of stress. Stress is very damaging to the body. One panic attack is not likely to cause a heart attack but an ongoing series of panic attacks indicates a greater problem and greater stress. And the greater the ongoing stress the more likely that an actual heart attack will happen.
Comments
Comment from average_guy_1271970
Time December 23, 2009 at 5:32 pm
They aren’t related. I had panic attacks several years ago, and went to the doctor and hadn an EKG and all that stuff. There wasn’t anything wrong with my heart.
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Comment from vladplazmius
Time December 23, 2009 at 5:52 pm
The real issue is the ongoing level of stress. Stress is very damaging to the body. One panic attack is not likely to cause a heart attack but an ongoing series of panic attacks indicates a greater problem and greater stress. And the greater the ongoing stress the more likely that an actual heart attack will happen.
References :
Dr. Joy Brown radio WOR radio NYC
Comment from Betsy Ross
Time December 23, 2009 at 6:19 pm
Highly unlikely. The only cardiac event you might expect out of a panic attack is an arrythmia (heart beating out of rhythym), and even that is pretty rare unless you’ve had problems with that before. In a panic attack you essentially think your body into behaving as if it’s having a heart attack or an asthma attack, but that doesn’t cause one.
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I’ve had lots of panic attacks and I have a mother-in-law with cardiac problems.
Comment from donna555pink
Time December 23, 2009 at 6:45 pm
I don’t know about heart attacks, but I used to get panic attacks a lot.
One day I was having one in my bedroom and the next thing I knew I had 2 EMTs in my room. Evidently I had had a seizure. I don’t remember any of it, but the bump on the head afterwards. They did a lot of follow up tests and found nothing wrong with me physically. I went and got some counseling to figure out why I was having panic attacks in the first place. Mainly stress and stuff. I worked on ways to calm down my stress. I have not had one in a long time now. Knock on wood.
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Comment from Pooh-Z
Time December 23, 2009 at 7:29 pm
A panic attack will not cause a heart attack…the two are not related. However, you need to find a way to relax that works for you…your body needs it.
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Comment from awesomebuka
Time December 23, 2009 at 5:24 pm
Extremely unlikely. They are in no way related.
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