Differentiating Between a Panic Attack and a Heart Attack

Dr. Kenneth (Ken) Mwatha is a Baltimore based physician specializing in emergency medicine. A graduate of the University of Wyoming and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Dr. Ken Mwatha is a member of the American College of Emergency Physicians. As an emergency department physician, he routinely treats patients experiencing heart attacks, and also encounters those suffering from panic attacks.

The symptoms of heart attacks and panic attacks can be very similar, requiring patients to discern if a visit to the emergency room is necessary. When patients are experiencing shortness of breath, heart palpitations, chest pain, dizziness, vertigo, numbness, faintness, and trembling, they could be suffering from a heart attack or a panic attack. Though frightening, panic attacks do not require urgent medical treatment. Patients suffering from a heart attack, however, should be taken to an emergency room immediately for medical attention.

Patients can discern the difference between a panic attack and a heart attack by asking a number of questions:

-What is my pain like? Patients suffering from heart attacks describe a crushing pain that originates in the middle of their chest. The pain can travel down the left arm and into the back, neck, jaw, or teeth. The pain typically lasts for more than five minutes. The pain that results from a panic attack is typically not as crushing or localized, and comes and goes over the course of a longer period of time.

- Have I had a panic attack in the past? If the symptoms are similar, a patient can try breathing deeply for several minutes to see if the symptoms diminish. Patients suffering from panic disorder who are afraid of having a heart attack should undergo testing with a physician to determine their risk for heart attack.

- Do I suffer from panic disorder and have I had a heart attack in the past? If the answer to both these questions is yes, patients should discuss with their physicians the symptoms that require a visit to the emergency room. They also should determine a treatment plan that aims to reduce their risk of panic attacks and future cardiac episodes.

If patients are at all uncertain regarding their symptoms, they should immediately seek medical attention. Diagnostic measures such as echocardiograms and blood testing will be administered to determine a diagnosis.

When to Go to the Emergency Room

As attending physician in a busy Baltimore hospital’s emergency department, Dr. Kenneth “Ken” Mwatha cares for patients with a variety of life-threatening conditions, including heart attacks and serious trauma. Before establishing himself, Dr. Ken Mwatha underwent his residency in emergency medicine through Johns Hopkins Hospital, one of the most highly ranked hospitals in the world.

Patients may be reluctant to go to the emergency room (E.R.) since it costs significantly more than an office visit with their primary care doctor. However, emergency rooms can deliver life-saving interventions for time-sensitive conditions, and therefore patients with serious or alarming symptoms ought not to hesitate to visit their local E.R. 

One condition that necessitates a visit to the E.R. for immediate care is a heart attack. Symptoms of a heart attack include chest pain, shortness of breath, and a sudden outbreak of sweating. Ignoring these symptoms or delaying treatment can result in serious consequences, including death.

Moreover, any symptoms that interrupt or prevent breathing, like those coming as a result of allergic reactions, require immediate medical attention. The same goes for bleeding events such as those caused by deep cuts or internal injuries.

Phife Dawg Speaks Out against Sugar Addition before Dying of Diabetes

Dr. Kenneth “Ken” Mwatha is an experienced emergency physician who holds a doctor of medicine from Johns Hopkins University. For the past five years, he has treated patients in the emergency room of a hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. Outside of work, Dr. Ken Mwatha enjoys listening to the music of the classic rap group A Tribe Called Quest.

One of the two MCs in A Tribe Called Quest, Phife Dawg (born Malik Taylor), passed away from diabetic complications in March of 2016. His death came after a lengthy struggle with diabetes that was complicated by what he recognized as a powerful addiction to sugar. 

As a result of his serious diabetic condition, Phife Dawg underwent a kidney transplant in 2008. Three years later he referred to his continuing addiction to sugar as a “sickness” and equated sugar with harder drugs in a 2011 documentary about the band. He admitted that his dependency on sugar caused him to live in a state of denial about his diabetes.

ACEP Studies ER Physician Interruptions

For nearly five years, Dr. Kenneth (Ken) Mwatha has served as an attending physician at the Department of Emergency Medicine at Saint Agnes Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. Alongside his work, Dr. Ken Mwatha maintains membership in the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP).

A recent study appearing in the Annals of Emergency Medicine - a journal of the ACEP - looks at the interruptions that emergency room physicians face daily and how to effectively deal with them. According to the research, ER doctors are interrupted an average of 12.5 times each our, with nearly half of the interruptions coming while they are doing computer work. More than 87 percent of all interruptions come from other staff members. 

Researchers suggest several strategies for managing these interruptions, including the creation of environmental cues, such as strategic placement of a mouse cursor, to refresh the mind on the task at hand. Researchers also suggest there may be times when it is appropriate to reject the interruption altogether until the task at hand is completed.