Panic Attack Vs Heart Attack Nhs

Is it a heart attack or a panic attack.

Panic attack vs heart attack nhs. Distinguishing between the two can be difficult especially if you ve never experienced either says william meurer m d of the university of michigan health system emergency department. Your heart is racing and you feel pain in your chest. The difference between heart attacks and panic attacks can be subtle. Although a panic attack will not cause a heart attack stress and anxiety might play a role in the development of coronary artery disease.

Some people think they are having a heart attack because it feels like their heart is beating fast or irregularly or even that they are going to die. A panic attack will not cause a heart attack. A blockage in one or more of the blood vessels to the heart which leads to an interruption of vital blood flow causes a heart attack. A panic attack will not cause a heart attack.

Although it may feel like something is seriously wrong they aren t dangerous and shouldn t harm you. Panic attacks can occur as isolated events or as part of an anxiety disorder. There s an overlap in symptoms associated with heart attack and panic attack. For people under 50 years of age there was a higher rate of new heart attacks after being diagnosed with panic attacks disorder for the first time compared to those without panic attacks this group had a 38 increase in their risk of heart attack which was statistically significant hazard ratio hr 1 38 95 ci 1 06 to 1 79.

Can a panic attack cause a heart attack.