by Lorraine Carter

Created on: September 20, 2011   Last Updated: September 21, 2011

Factors That Trigger Panic Attacks

Panic disorder is a real condition. Almost everyone will experience a panic attack at some point in their life. Many people have them all the time. Those who have them frequently are diagnosed with Panic Disorder and usually treated by way of prescription medications or psychotherapy or both.

In Panic disorders, there is now way of telling than an attack is coming; there are no symptoms that indicate one is on the way. The symptoms that appear are those of the attack itself. These include feeling sweaty, chills, a feeling of losing control, sense of fear, dread or terror, weakness, dizziness, feeling faint, chest pains, and tingling or numbness in hands and fingers.

Panic attacks can occur at any time, even while a person is sleeping. Panic attacks have often been mistaken as heart attacks.

What triggers a panic attack? There is no complete list of triggers for panic attacks. One of the main triggers is anxiety or stress. This is considered an internal trigger often brought on by emotions, memories, and thoughts that are not pleasant.  Other internal triggers can be as simple as a stomach ache or skipped heartbeat.

External triggers include smells, changes in lighting, a sudden increase or drop in room temperature, a funny, unexpected taste in the mouth, and noises or changes in the way surrounding things sound. Basically any unexpected change in a person’s normal environment can trigger a panic attack.

Other external triggers include the sudden onset of illness, like a headache, stomach ache or nausea. Caffeinated beverages like coffee, sugar, alcohol, anything that affects the insulin level, increases adrenalin or alters the chemical balance of the body can trigger a panic attack.  Lack of exercise and deficiencies in vitamins like B12, thiamin and niacin are also contributing factors for panic attacks.

How can the triggers be isolated? There are ways to find out what is triggering a panic attack. One method involves carrying a notebook everywhere. When a panic attack hits, wait until it has passed and then write down everything that can be remembered.

Was this at a new location? Was there a different smell present? Was there any emotional event taking place? Example: a stressful meeting, a memory of a loved one, a conversation about something unpleasant.  Was there a particular, possible loud or annoying noise in the area? Did the temperature of the room drop or rise? Anything that can be remembered about the surrounding environment needs to be noted.

Write all of this information down for each panic attack. Compare the notes for each one and see if there are similarities in each situation. These may be the triggers that are causing the attacks. Talking to a doctor about these attacks is advisable. They may prescribe some medication to help control them and may refer you to a psychotherapist to teach ways of avoiding the feelings, thoughts or emotions that might be some of the triggers.

Staying away from annoying, loud sounds, certain smells, certain locations and temperature fluctuations may also be a step toward avoiding these panic attacks. If the attacks occur regularly at one location or with one certain smell, then avoiding these areas may be wise.

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