How To Tell the Di;erence Between a Heart A ack and a Panic A ack
To help determine what you’re experiencing, focus on how the pain feels, the location of the pain, when it started and how long it lasts
The symptoms come on quickly:
You feel your chest tighten, your heart rate skyrockets and you start sweating.
It’s an alarming scenario, and your mind races to Ggure out what’s happening. Is it a heart attack? Or is it a panic attack? It can often be di cult to tell the difference (especially if you’ve had neither) and that only adds to the confusion and stress.
Both events are serious and it’s important to recognize which one you’re experiencing so you can get proper treatment.
So, how can you tell the difference when it comes to a panic attack vs. a heart * attack? You want to focus on how the pain feels, the location of your pain, when it started and how long it lasts.
Cardiologist Mistyannblue Miller, MD, explains what these two conditions have in common and how they’re different.
Can they feel similar?
A heart attack is when part of your heart doesn’t get enough blood. This usually happens because an artery that supplies blood to your heart is blocked.
A panic attack is a sudden attack of overwhelming fear or anxiety, triggered by your body’s Gghtor-.ight response. Panic attacks aren’t life-threatening, but they interfere with your quality of life and mental well-being.
People who have regular or frequent panic attacks may have a panic disorder, a type of anxiety disorder. But an isolated panic attack can happen to anyone, even without a panic disorder diagnosis.
While it’s easy to confuse both conditions and how they feel, you want to really focus on how your chest pain feels.
A heart attack feels like:
-Chest pressure. -Feeling of squeezing or, says Dr. Miller, “Like an elephant sitting on your chest.”
-Achy or burning sensation, like heartburn.
A panic attack often causes:
-Sharp or stabbing pain (not typical with a heart attack).
-Heart racing or chest discomfort that is hard to describe.