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Diseases » Panic disorder » Introduction

Panic disorder



Panic disorder: Contents

Panic disorder: Introduction

Panic disorder causes episodes of irrational fear and panic called "panic attacks". In addition to the mental symptoms of fear, panic, and terror, these attacks often lead to physical symptoms such as chest pain, difficulty breathing, rapid pulse, and various other symptoms. These symptoms can be so severe that many first-time sufferers believe they are having a heart attack or are dying, and go to a hospital emergency room for diagnosis. A single panic attack does not necessarily mean a diagnosis of panic disorder, but multiple episodes usually does. Once an attack can occur, people can get into a vicious cycle of so-called "anticipatory anxiety", where the fear of having an attack leads to increased anxiety. In some cases, people start to avoid places or events that trigger an attack, leading to phobias or agoraphobia.

Symptoms of Panic disorder

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See full list of 40 symptoms of Panic disorder

Home Diagnostic Testing

Home medical testing related to Panic disorder:

Panic disorder: Complications

Review possible medical complications related to Panic disorder:

Medical Textbooks Online about Panic disorder

Medical Books Excerpts

ANXIETY

  • "Algorithmic Diagnosis of Symptoms and Signs" (2003)

DROP ATTACKS

  • "Algorithmic Diagnosis of Symptoms and Signs" (2003)

Anxiety

  • "In a Page: Signs and Symptoms" (2004)

DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND OTHER ABNORMAL PSYCHIC STATES

  • "Differential Diagnosis in Primary Care" (2007)

DROP ATTACKS

  • "Differential Diagnosis in Primary Care" (2007)

Agitation

  • "Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition)" (2006)

Anxiety

  • "Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition)" (2006)

Skin, clammy

  • "Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition)" (2006)

Generalized anxiety disorder

  • "Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition)" (2005)

Panic disorder

  • "Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition)" (2005)

Agitation

  • "Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition)" (2006)

Anxiety

  • "Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition)" (2006)

Skin, clammy

  • "Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition)" (2006)

Anxiety

  • "The 10-Minute Diagnosis Manual: Symptoms and Signs in the Time-Limited Encounter" (2000)

Anxiety

  • "Field Guide to Bedside Diagnosis" (2007)

Anxiety disorder, generalized

  • "Handbook of Diseases" (2003)

Panic disorder

  • "Handbook of Diseases" (2003)

Skin, clammy

  • "Alarming Signs and Symptoms: Lippincott Manual of Nursing Practice Series" (2007)

Agitation

  • "Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses" (2007)

Anxiety

  • "Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses" (2007)

Skin, clammy

  • "Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses" (2007)

Agitation

  • "Nursing: Interpreting Signs and Symptoms" (2007)

Anxiety

  • "Nursing: Interpreting Signs and Symptoms" (2007)

Skin, clammy

  • "Nursing: Interpreting Signs and Symptoms" (2007)

DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND OTHER ABNORMAL PSYCHIC STATES

  • "Differential Diagnosis in Primary Care" (2007)

DROP ATTACKS

  • "Differential Diagnosis in Primary Care" (2007)

Book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

Wrongly Diagnosed with Panic disorder?

Panic disorder: Self Assessment Tools

Panic disorder: Medical Mistakes

Panic disorder: Undiagnosed Conditions

Commonly undiagnosed diseases in related medical categories:

Misdiagnosis and Panic disorder

Common asymptomatic heart disorder can cause anxiety-like conditions: Anxiety symptoms may be due to heart disorder - There is a reasonably common heart disorder called Mitral Valve Prolapse (MVP),...read more »

Rare cancer hidden cause of panic symptoms: The rare cancer pheochromocytoma, an adrenal tumor, can initially have symptoms similar to panic disorder. Its symptoms may include anxiety,...read more »

Thyroid disorder misdiagnosed as anxiety disorder: The book "A Dose of Sanity" reports on a case where as woman was diagnosed with panic disorder, and had been taking a variety of...read more »

Cluster of diseases with difficult diagnosis issues: There is a well-known list of medical conditions that are all somewhat difficult to diagnose, and all can present in a variety of...read more »

Undiagnosed stroke leads to misdiagnosed aphasia: BBC News UK reported on a man who had been institutionalized and treated for mental illness...read more »

Heart attack can be over-diagnosed: Although heart attack is often undiagnosed, leading to fatality, it can also be over-diagnosed. People become concerned that a condition is...read more »

Alzheimer's disease over-diagnosed: The well-known disease of Alzheimer's disease is often over-diagnosed. Patients tend to assume that any memory loss or forgetulness symptom...read more »

Dementia may be a drug interaction: A common scenario in aged care is for a patient to show mental decline to dementia. Whereas this can, of course, occur due to various medical...read more »

ADHD under-diagnosed in adults: Although the over-diagnoses of ADHD in children is a well-known controversy, the reverse side related to adults. Some adults can remain undiagnosed, and indeed the condition has...read more »

Bipolar disorder misdiagosed as various conditions by primary physicians: Bipolar disorder (manic-depressive disorder) often fails to be diagnosed correctly by primary care physicians....read more »

Eating disorders under-diagnosed in men: The typical patient with an eating disorder is female. The result is that men with eating disorders often fail to be...read more »

Depression undiagnosed in teenagers: Serious bouts of depression can be undiagnosed in teenagers. The "normal" moodiness of teenagers can cause...read more »

Undiagnosed anxiety disorders related to depression: Patients with depression (see symptoms of depression) may also have undiagnosed anxiety disorders (see symptoms of anxiety disorders). Failure to...read more »

Read more about Misdiagnosis and Panic disorder

Panic disorder: Research Doctors & Specialists

Research related physicians and medical specialists:

Other doctor, physician and specialist research services:

Hospitals & Clinics: Panic disorder

Research quality ratings and patient safety measures for medical facilities in specialties related to Panic disorder:

Hospital & Clinic quality ratings » »

Choosing the Best Hospital: More general information, not necessarily in relation to Panic disorder, on hospital performance and surgical care quality:

Panic disorder: Rare Types

Rare types of diseases and disorders in related medical categories:

Causes of Panic disorder

Read more about causes of Panic disorder.

Treatments for Panic disorder

See full list of 20 treatments for Panic disorder

Latest Treatments for Panic disorder

See full list of 13 latest treatments for Panic disorder

News Archives for Panic disorder

Medical news articles related to Panic disorder include:

Source: HealthDay News

Evidence Based Medicine Research for Panic disorder

Medical research articles related to Panic disorder include:

Click here to find more evidence-based articles on the TRIP Database

Videos for Panic disorder

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Attacking NHL EarlyTargeted therapies are not just for advanced cases non Hodgkin's lymphoma. Learn how they can help against indolent or low-grade cancers as well.

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A New Way to Attack NHLOne of the newest treatments for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is radioimmunotherapy, a clever mixture of old and new that better targets cancer cells.

 
See full list of 8 related videos

Patient Surveys for Panic disorder

Prognosis for Panic disorder

Prognosis for Panic disorder: fact, proper treatment reduces or completely prevents panic attacks in 70 to 90 percent of people. Many people feel substantial relief in just weeks or months. (Source: excerpt from Getting Treatment for Panic Disorder: NIMH)

More about prognosis of Panic disorder

Reseach about Panic disorder

Visit our research pages for current research about Panic disorder treatments.

Clinical Trials for Panic disorder

The US based website ClinicalTrials.gov lists information on both federally and privately supported clinical trials using human volunteers.

Some of the clinical trials listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for Panic disorder include:

See full list of 42 Clinical Trials for Panic disorder

Statistics for Panic disorder

Panic disorder: Broader Related Topics

Types of Panic disorder

Types of Panic disorder

Read more about Types of Panic disorder

Stories from Users Related to Panic disorder

Related forums and medical stories:

User Interactive Forums

Read about other experiences, ask a question about Panic disorder, or answer someone else's question, on our message boards:

Article Excerpts about Panic disorder

Getting Treatment for Panic Disorder: NIMH (Excerpt)

Panic disorder is very different from everyday anxiety. More than 3 million American adults have, or will have, panic disorder at some time in their lives. Most frequently, it starts in young adulthood. Usually, it does not go away by itself. But with proper treatment, people with panic disorder can be helped. (Source: excerpt from Getting Treatment for Panic Disorder: NIMH)

Understanding Panic Disorder: NIMH (Excerpt)

In panic disorder, brief episodes of intense fear are accompanied by multiple physical symptoms (such as heart palpitations and dizziness) that occur repeatedly and unexpectedly in the absence of any external threat. These "panic attacks," which are the hallmark of panic disorder, are believed to occur when the brain's normal mechanism for reacting to a threat – the so-called "fight or flight" response – becomes inappropriately aroused. Most people with panic disorder also feel anxious about the possibility of having another panic attack and avoid situations in which they believe these attacks are likely to occur. Anxiety about another attack, and the avoidance it causes, can lead to disability in panic disorder. (Source: excerpt from Understanding Panic Disorder: NIMH)

Definitions of Panic disorder:

Specific psychological phenomenon characterized by sudden onset of anxiety (often unrelated to objective events), accompanied by autonomic symptoms such as tachycardia, paresthesia, flushing, and sweating. - (Source - Diseases Database)

An anxiety disorder characterized by unpredictable panic attacks; the attacks are usually severe but brief - (Source - WordNet 2.1)

Contents for Panic disorder: User Surveys and Discussion Forums


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