Decoding the Symptoms: Panic Attacks vs Heart Attacks in Women

Decoding the symptoms, panic attacks vs heart attacks in women. All things considered, I have been to the ER many of times because of chest pains. I think one of these times it will be a heart attack with the amount of stress I cause myself each day.

Worrying about this , worrying about that. Things in the future. Therefore, having anxiety over triveal things. When will it ever stop? Anxiety is draining the life out of me.

Consequently, symptoms of heart issues in women and symptoms of panic attacks in women sometimes have the same symptoms but they are two very distinct health issues.

All in all, to help determine what you’re experiencing, focus on how the pain feels, the location of the pain, when it started and how long it lasts.

Cardiologist Mistyann-Blue Miller, MD, explains what these two conditions have in common and how they’re different.

Heart Attack Symptoms In Women

Decoding the symptoms, panic attacks vs heart attacks in women. Altogether, heart attack symptoms can vary widely, and some people have mild symptoms while others have severe symptoms.

Common symptoms of heart attack include:

Firstly, female Chest Pain Location
Chest pain is the most common symptom of a heart attack in women, but it can be anywhere in the chest, not just on the left side. Some women describe the pain as pressure or tightness, or a sense of squeezing or fullness. The pain can also radiate down the shoulder and arm.
Shortness of breath. You may gasp for breath or try to take in deep breaths.
Fourthly, an overwhelming feeling of anxiety (similar to a panic attack).
Coughing or wheezing.
Fatigue.
Additionally, heartburn.
Indigestion.
Pounding or racing heart.
Feeling lightheaded or faint.
In addition, sweating, including cold sweats.
Pain or discomfort in your upper body, such as your jaw, neck, arms, shoulders or back.
Nausea or vomiting.
Lastly, feeling of impending doom.

Panic Attack Symptoms In Women

Decoding the symptoms, panic attacks vs heart attacks in women.

Here is a Good List of Panic Attack Symptoms:

Firstly, Heart rate: Pounding or racing heartbeat.
Feeling faint: Dizziness, light-headedness, or feeling like you’re going to faint.
Temperature: Feeling very hot or very cold.
Fourthly, Sweating: Sweating, trembling, or shaking.
Nausea: Nausea or abdominal distress.
Pain: Chest pain or pain in your abdomen.
Additionally, Breathing: Difficulty breathing or feeling like you’re choking.
Legs: Feeling like your legs are shaky or are turning to jelly.
Tingly or numb: Tingling or numbness in your fingers or toes.
In addition, Sudden feeling of anxiety and fear.
Shaking and trembling.
Feeling like you’re outside your body.
Lastly, Stomach pain.

Definitions of Heart Attack and Panic Attack

Decoding the symptoms, panic attacks vs heart attacks in women. At length, a heart attack is when part of your heart doesn’t get enough blood. This usually happens because an artery that supplies blood to your heart is blocked.

Contrarily, a panic attack is a sudden attack of overwhelming fear or anxiety, triggered by your body’s fight-or-flight response. By all means, panic attacks aren’t life-threatening, but they interfere with your quality of life and mental well-being.

While it’s easy to confuse both conditions and how they feel, you want to really focus on how your chest pain feels.

A Heart Attack Feels Like:

Firstly, chest pressure.
Feeling of squeezing or, says Dr. Miller, “Like an elephant sitting on your chest.”
Achy or burning sensation, like heartburn.

A Panic Attack Often Causes:

Sharp or stabbing pain (not typical with a heart attack).
Heart racing or chest discomfort that is hard to describe.

In many cases, a panic attack triggers a fast heart rate, also known as tachycardia. The heart rate may speed up to 200 beats per minute or even faster.

Subsequently, a fast heart rate can make you feel lightheaded and short of breath. Or you might feel fluttering or pounding in your chest. Usually, tachycardia that happens in response to emotional stress and only lasts a few minutes isn’t harmful.

But if it happens regularly, or you have possible symptoms of a heart attack, seek medical care.

To Tell the Difference, Focus On:

The location of pain

While both heart and panic attacks cause chest discomfort, you want to zero in on where the pain is.

“With a heart attack, pain radiates to other areas like the arm, jaw or neck,” says Dr. Miller. “If it’s a panic attack, pain will typically stay in the chest.”

When you experience pain

Another key difference between a heart attack and a panic attack? Heart attacks tend to happen after physical strain or exertion — a sign not found in panic attacks.

“A heart attack might happen after shoveling snow or walking up a long flight of stairs,” clarifies Dr. Miller. “But you wouldn’t have a panic attack after exercise unless there was an emotional stress trigger with it.”

But what if the symptoms hit you at night? Both panic attacks and heart attacks can wake you from sleep. But there’s a key difference: People who have nighttime, or nocturnal, panic attacks usually have daytime panic attacks, too.

So, if you wake up with chest pain or other symptoms, and you don’t have a history of panic attacks, that might be a sign of a heart attack.

How long the pain lasts

Panic attack symptoms last a few minutes or up to an hour. Then, the symptoms disappear, and you feel better. But a heart attack won’t let up.

Therefore, pain and symptoms of a heart attack might keep going or come in waves where it gets better and worse.

“Heart attacks can cause severe chest pain, like a 9 or 10 on the pain scale,” states Dr. Miller. “Then later, the pain may drop to a 3 or 4 before it gets worse again. The pain might change, but it won’t go away.”

Conclusion

Decoding the symptoms, panic attacks vs heart attacks in women. So, some symptoms of a heart attack vs. a panic attack overlap, like chest pain, shortness of breath, nausea and feelings of impending doom, Dr. Miller explains

Also, people who have anxiety, depression or chronic stress may have a higher risk of heart problems. Chronic stress can lead to high blood pressure, which raises the risk of heart attack and stroke.

It’s also important to know that a heart attack might seem like it came out of nowhere. But in many cases, chest pain due to heart disease, known as angina, appears in the days or weeks before a cardiac event.

“You may feel a twinge or some pain in the shoulder or chest but think it’s something else,” notes Dr. Miller. “The symptoms go away. Then later, the pain gets worse, or you feel a little off. Then, the heart attack hits. These early signs can be hard to identify.”

A heart attack is a medical emergency. A panic attack isn’t. But with the overlap in symptoms, it can be tough to tell them apart.

Don’t take chances. Hence, if you have chest pain or other heart attack symptoms — or if you’re not sure if it’s a heart attack or panic attack — seek immediate medical care.