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.
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.
