Panic Attack or Heart Attack? How to Tell the Difference

We’ve all seen the Hollywood portrayals of a heart attack — gripping your chest, falling to the floor, and gasping for air. Surprisingly, a panic attack can bring on that same scenario and feel like a serious cardiac event.

So, how can you tell the difference between a panic attack and a heart attack?

Given that there’s a heart attack every 40 seconds in the United States, it's normal to have concerns, and we encourage you to read on to learn more. In the following, panic disorder expert Wendy Ann Reiss, MSN, PMHNP-BC, presents some points to consider.

Hallmarks of a panic attack

Each year in the US, up to 11% of people experience a panic attack and experience some combination of the following symptoms:

• Chest pain or pressure
• Difficulty breathing
• Heart palpitations
• Trembling
• Sweating
• Nausea
• Sweating
• Tingling or numbness in your fingers

Many people also cite an inability to hear or concentrate on anything around you — it’s all white noise, and you feel detached. As well, many people report they have overwhelming sensations of impending death and doom, as well as what can best be described as sheer terror.

Common signs of a heart attack

Now, let's take a look at the most common signs of a heart attack, which include the following:

• Chest pain or pressure
• Difficulty breathing
• Heart palpitations
• Nausea and vomiting
• Feeling faint or dizzy
• Pain in your left shoulder, arm, or jaw
• Sweating
• Feeling of impending doom

So, does all of this sound like a repeat of the list we supplied above for a panic attack, aside from the left shoulder and jaw pain? Well, it very much is.

What kind of attack is it?

We could provide you with some nuances between the symptoms of a heart attack and a panic attack, but when you’re in the throes of one of these attacks, all nuance is likely lost.

In reality, there are no significant differences between these two, other than the fact that one is mainly harmless while the other can threaten your life. Given this reality, we always encourage you to err on the side of caution and get help immediately.

However, if you’ve been through a panic attack before and feel confident you know the signs, you can wait it out. Most panic attacks last only a few minutes until the flood of stress hormones abates.

In fact, this is where our help comes in. When you have a panic disorder, our goal is to teach you ways to manage these attacks, such as breathing techniques. We can also supply you with medication that can help you control the attacks. Ultimately, we aim to get you to a place where these attacks don't occur in the first place — but that takes time.

To recap, if you’re at all unsure whether you’re having a panic attack or a heart attack, opt for peace of mind and seek help. If you’re told it’s a panic attack, your next call should be to us.

For expert treatment of your panic attack disorder, please contact us for a telehealth appointment at 908-386-5112 or book a telepsychiatry appointment online today.