What causes panic attacks can bewilder millions of men and women of all ages. Even mild cases can disrupt your life, but a lot of this depends on the severity of the attacks and the individual. A doctor consultation is often necessary to get an accurate diagnosis and to be on your path to learn how to stop panic attacks. This is because there could be different variables that are at play as well as the fact that the symptoms can be misleading. In fact, many go to their doctor for different reasons. The reasons and causes for panic attacks are as variable and sometimes as vague as the symptoms. In this article we have pulled together just a few of the causes for panic attacks in hopes of increasing your understanding of what can cause panic attacks.
It is widely recognized by researches that there is a tendency of panic attacks to run in families. But that doesn’t mean they only run in families. At this point there have been no genetic findings to back this up. Other studies seem to conclude that lack of certain nutrients like magnesium or zinc could also cause them. Other studies however refute the findings of these studies rendering them inconclusive. We feel certain more studies will be conducted on this in the future. Once these are concluded, the nutritional aspect of panic attacks can be properly addressed. For now, it’s probably wise to focus on other panic attack risk factors. Research by psychologist or medical professionals has yet to determine what exactly causes panic attacks. It appears that the mind helps or in fact induces the symptoms that are connected to the body. Despite this there is still a genetic component that plays into this. In other words, the phenomena is seen in generations of families. A panic attack occurrence doesn’t necessarily mean that your family is genetically disposed to it.
Don’t rule out a medical condition as a cause of panic attacks. There could also be something that occurs physically in your body that triggers one. In the end, discussing this with your doctor is important, whether you had one attack or they keep reoccurring. Some heart conditions have been shown to cause panic attacks, specifically when related to valve closure, as well as other medical issues like hypoglycemia or hyperthyroidism (not hypo). The first condition, hyperthyroidism results when a person’s thyroid gland is over-active. If your blood sugar is often low you may suffer from hypoglycemia.
Hypersensitivity to anxiety, is one school of thought held by the medical and psychological schools. In simple terms this means that some people are more sensitive to anxiety or external stressors. People who are more sensitive to anxiety are more likely to have panic attacks.
The causes and symptoms of panic attacks are understood and yet not fully understood at the same time. For those who suffer with this condition, this can lead to a great deal of frustration. A psychologist whose specialty is in panic attack symptoms is another direction that you can try to help evaluate what will work for you.