In our daily lives, we encounter many situations that too often seem odd and bizarre. We become conditioned, or perhaps even cynical about human suffering. To get involved with someone who appears to be suffering from an injury might mean getting scammed or being subject to litigation. What’s unfortunate about this is that we often tend to neglect that any kind of suffering, whether it be caused by an accident, a robbery, or even being shot, can be anyone of us. Furthermore, we may be the only lifeline to someone who is injured and suffering because of it. Do we walk away from this type of situation without even doing something as basic as calling 911? Perhaps by being a little more knowledgeable about medical emergencies can help us learn to be more alert and willing to assist in a medical emergency.
One situation which is not infrequent is panic attacks. As with any medical emergency, it’s important to recognize the signs and symptoms of panic attacks so that proper help can be administered. First, let’s deal with the myths about signs and symptoms of panic attacks. One of the symptoms of a panic attack is trembling uncontrollably. Too often, this leads one to believe that the person has “gone crazy” or is being a nuisance by, not only shaking, but spouting gibberish. In all honesty, shaking is definitely a sign of a panic attack but speaking gibberish is not. It’s important to point this out because understanding what signs and symptoms of panic attack really are will help determine the proper treatment for this person. Any misinformation given to a medical emergency worker can delay treatment further. The next step is to determine what the signs and symptoms of panic attacks really are.
The most common signs of panic attacks include trembling, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, chest pain (or chest tightness), hot flashes cold flashes, burning sensations, sweating, nausea, dizziness, light-headedness, hyperventilation, and tingling sensations. These are easily recognizable signs of panic attack that are obvious when someone is suffering from these conditions. Although symptoms such as these should be treated immediately as in any other medical emergency, it’s helpful to know what the cause is or what triggered it just for background information. If, for example, you have a friend or a family member who suffers from panic attacks periodically, it might help to know the cause so that the they can be treated professionally in order to prevent future occurrences of panic attacks.
One common cause, or “trigger”, that can cause panic attacks is heredity. There may be a family history of other relatives having suffered similar symptoms. Other causes include post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive compulsive behavior, and phobias.
When administering help to a panic attack sufferer, particularly someone you may not know but you’re seeking emergency help for, never ask “what brought this on?” What the cause is shouldn’t matter because the immediate concern is to seek immediate help to the victim. It’s important not to delay the process in seeking help asking impertinent questions like “so what’s wrong with you?” or “is this for real?” Even if you recognize symptoms for treating panic attacks, there’s a possibility of a heart attack in which case you never want to delay getting medical help for a victim. It’s best to avoid conversation and start assisting immediately.
The very first step would be to guide the victim to a safe cool place to either sit or lie down and offer some water if that’s possible. Once the victim is in a safe place, call 911. You will very likely be asked a series of questions by the 911 operator to determine the type of emergency that needs to be tended to. The operators are usually well trained in the area of diagnosis and can determine how quickly an ambulance can go to where the victim is. One major distinction between a heart attack and a panic attack is that a victim of a panic attack can regain composure after about 15 minutes. It’s possible that the victim will recover during the time you’re speaking to a 911 operator. That may immediately determine that an ambulance isn’t needed.
If you see that the victim of a panic attack has regained his or her composure and appears to be functioning normally, you can suggest going to a hospital emergency room to be checked. It may be that the victim has previously had episodes like these in the past and opt not to go. If a victim fears that a panic attack may soon set it, having a medical professional check the person should be advised.
Offering help to a person suffering a panic attack should not be avoided. It doesn’t help to stand by the sidelines just watching to see what will happen. It really shouldn’t take more than 30 minutes of your time to assist someone whose situation could have worsened if help had not arrived.