Panic Attacks

Managing COPD Panic Attacks



Panic attacks are very common in COPD patients, and it's terrifying to lose one's breath. But there are ways to confront the fear and head off panic.
By Dennis Thompson Jr.Medically reviewed by Lindsey Marcellin, MD, MPH

Panic attack is a truly frightening experience: Your chest tightens, your heart starts racing, and you may feel a chill run down your spine. But if you’re living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a panic attack can feel even worse because you already have a hard time breathing, and the sensation of your breath quickening can add to the scare.


Patients with COPD are much more likely to experience regular panic attacks than the general public. Doctors estimate that the prevalence of full-fledged panic disorder is as much as 10 times greater in COPD patients than in the overall population.


These panic attacks are not harmless. Beyond the fright and misery it provokes in patients, panic disorder can create considerable interference in a person's COPD treatment and management. COPD patients who experience frequent panic attacks report more pulmonary disease symptoms, have a worse quality of life, use more medical treatments, and are more frequently hospitalized, research has found.


Panic Attacks and COPD Management


A panic attack involves an intense and sudden surge of fear that grips a person seemingly out of nowhere, and without warning. The fear that grips the person is far out of proportion to whatever prompted it, and may not be related to any particular incident. Panic attacks pass within a matter of minutes, as the human body cannot maintain such a hypervigilant "fight or flight" response for long periods of time, but recurring attacks can continue for hours.


COPD patients develop panic disorder most likely because shortness-of-breath episodes are so terrifying. Their minds learn to misinterpret potential signs of these episodes as actual signs, creating a feedback loop that results in panic.


Symptoms of a panic attack include:
*Pounding, skipping, or racing heartbeat
*Difficulty breathing
*Chest tightness and pain
*Lightheadedness or dizziness
*Nausea or stomach cramps
*Cold sweats
*Trembling and shaking
*Sudden chills or hot flashes
*Tingling in your extremities
*Fear of imminent death or other disastrous outcome


Panic attacks are terrible for proper COPD treatment. The hyperventilation that often accompanies a panic attack creates rapid and shallow breathing, which reduces the ability of the lungs to take in and process oxygen, and thus worsens any COPD symptoms a patient might be experiencing.


How to Deal With Panic Attacks


COPD management must include a plan for dealing with panic attacks and panic disorder. Researchers have found that the best treatment involves cognitive-behavioral therapy, in which a therapist helps the COPD patient learn the subtle body signals that can either create or foretell a panic attack. The therapist also teaches the patient coping strategies, so he can head off an imminent panic attack. Studies have found that cognitive-behavioral therapy can prevent the development or slow the progress of panic disorders in COPD patients.


If you are a COPD patient and find yourself in the grip of a panic attack, you should:


*Relax. Try to take a step back and realize that your symptoms, while frightening, are an overreaction to a situation that is not dangerous.
*Be realistic. Remain in the present, paying attention to what is actually taking place rather than speculating on what might happen.
*Find a distraction. Distract yourself with some simple task like reciting a poem or list, counting backward, or squeezing your hands together.
*Accept the anxiety. Face the fear and accept it rather than fight it, allowing the time to pass.
*Judging the fear on a scale of 1 to 10, notice that even the highest levels of fear retreat within a matter of seconds. Other useful coping mechanisms for panic attacks include the use of:


*Relaxation methods. Learn several relaxation techniques, which can help you calm down before the panic cycle can take hold.
*Medications. These can include anti-anxiety drugs or antidepressants.Find some support.
*Locate support groups, where you can learn successful coping skills from other people who experience frequent panic attacks.

Patients receiving COPD treatment need to learn how to handle panic attacks. Once they’ve done so, they will be much better equipped for dealing with their condition.