The causes of panic attacks are very far reaching and can be associated with many medical conditions, commonly exhibited in assorted drug withdrawals and attributed to an assortment of toxic effects on your body. Chronic stress is a main cause of panic attacks and a high stress level makes you much more prone to developing them. For some reason undergoing surgery or being under anesthesia can also lead to panic attacks and genetics play a huge factor in developing panic attacks. In fact you are eight more times likely to have panic attacks in your lifetime and suffer from them if a parent or other close family member also suffers or has in the past suffered from panic attacks.

Many people that seem to get them for no reason, they would like to know exactly why and according to one theory it is the body’s normal natural alarm system, which is the set of physical and mental and chemical mechanisms that allows a person to appropriately respond to a danger. Only in the case of panic attacks it tends to be triggered unneeded when there is no threat in sight, it is not, however known exactly why this happens or why some people are so much more susceptible to panic attacks than others. There is though to be an imbalance in the chemicals of the brain, or neurotransmitters, associated with panic attacks and often things like physical illness or certain medications can start the panic attack process.

Drinking large amount of alcohol or suddenly stopping the use of alcohol when you have been using for a long time can cause panic attacks as can large amounts of caffeine that tend to make you more nervous and jumpy. Smokers exhibit a much higher rate of panic attacks as the nicotine in the blood concentrates very highly and nicotine is a natural panic attack inducer. There is also increase in the frequency of panic attacks that can be seen in some women during or after pregnancy.

Serious medical conditions can sometimes have panic attacks associated with them such as heart problems like Mitral Valve Prolapse and seizure disorders like epilepsy. Asthma and respiratory problems like Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) also have a higher risk of panic attacks. For reasons probably associated with the shortness of breath that panic attacks bring and a real fear of dying from those symptoms that could just be a panic attack instead of life threatening problem. Depression also carries with it a huge risk of panic attacks or other disorders that stem from the panic attacks such as agoraphobia and panic disorder being the most common.

Many people will have intense anxiety between episodes and about 30% will use alcohol to deal with these attacks which can indeed make them worse. In the search for the causes of panic attacks there are many road blocks and closed doors but with any luck a person can at least get treatment and support, for right now there is no cure for panic attacks.

Panic attacks in young children especially go on underreported much longer than any other group in the public. This happens because adults have a propensity to not understand what a child is trying to tell them, or actually dismiss the symptoms as a part of growing up, or the child being over dramatic. Panic attacks in these youngster can stem from another numbers of mitigating factors. It could be problems at home or school, general worry about their circumstances and day-to-day issues, and much the same reasons older individuals get panic attacks. No matter there reasons, panic attacks if left untreated in young children not only prolongs the suffering of the child at the current point in his or her life but also greatly increases the risk that they will evolve along with this problem into adulthood.

Symptoms that your child is having panic attacks are complaints of dizziness and worry along with fears that they are going to die, or issues with the world appearing funny or “unreal”. Also issues with feeling like they are not able to breathe properly, rapid heart rate and shaking are all also symptoms of panic attacks. Although in general, older children or adolescents are much more prone to experience panic attacks, very young children, especially after experiencing traumatic events, can get this debilitating disorder. A family history of panic attacks and an unstable home life also greatly increase the risk of them developing panic attacks.

Children that undergo frequent attacks are very adversely effected in social and home lives as well as their studies and even developmental processes. Other conditions can stem from the underlying panic attacks and they can develop an assortment of phobias such as the commonly displayed agoraphobia that can caused a distressed child immense fear leaving his or her parents in regular activities such as going to school or other places, even friend’s houses that they use to enjoy going to. General Anxiety disorder can also develop, this disorder is much like it sounds a general fear and worry that live on even when the child is not experiencing the dreadful symptoms of a panic attack.

Teens or sometimes even older preteen children may become very depressed or even suicidal. They also may turn to illegal substances like drugs or alcohol to numb the outcomes of the panic attacks. Diagnosing young children can often be very difficult for a family physician as they may see the child’s behavior as acting out, or not be able to understand what the child is trying to tell them and incorrectly attributing another condition to blame. Embarrassment also exists and even young children and they may be confused and feel they are to blame for their panic attacks, children often blame themselves for a lot of what goes on around them.

With your alertness as a patient though, in working with doctors the symptoms of panic attacks can often be lessened or resolved by many means that do not include medication, such as relaxation therapy and deep breathing exercises and trying to avoid the things that trigger panic attacks as much as possible.