Anxiety and Panic Attacks In Emphysema ... - Mind Publications

Unique Features of Anxiety and Panic Condition in Medical
patients
Anxiety and panic attacks can occur in medical patients who may or may not have
had any history of anxiety disorder/s. A severe and chronic illness itself is a major
stressor and may often create significant levels of anxiety.
Particularly vulnerable to anxiety and panic attacks are people suffering from
such medical conditions as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart disease,
severe pain and medical obesity. Some of these patients might have had an underlying
anxiety disorder, which could become worse with fears of possible death and disability
due to their medical condition. Others may develop an anxiety problem as their medical
condition worsens.
During a panic attack, you might think you were having a heart attack, lung
collapse, stroke or some other form of medical crisis. Symptoms such as pounding heart,
out-of-control breathing or sweating can be caused by exacerbation of the medical
condition or the anxiety associated with the medical condition. However, when symptom
seem obviously ominous and physical, it is difficult to imagine that they might be anxiety
related or caused by the mind rather than the body.
To illustrate the difficulty in differentiating between heart attack and panic attack,
let’s review guidelines of The American Heart Association and American Psychiatric
Association, respectively.
The American Heart Association (AHA), among others, lists the following
warning signals of a heart attack:
Uncomfortable pressure, fullness, squeezing or pain in the center of the chest
lasting more than a few minutes
Pain spreading to the shoulders, neck or arms
Chest discomfort
Lightheadedness or fainting
Sweating
Nausea
Shortness of breath