Simple Panic or a Heart Attack?

Is that sudden chest pain and difficulty breathing a simple panic attack or a deadly heart attack?

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Their raised voices could be heard by the neighbours. It was Hadiza and Mohammed – the couple that everyone admired- even strived to emulate.

The pain in her voice was unmistakable when she screamed. His voice sounded muffled but his anger could be heard nonetheless.

Inside the 2 bedroom apartment Hadiza was not herself. Not since hearing that her husband Mohammed was about to get another wife. After 10 years of marriage.

He had returned home from work that evening with the news of his traditional marriage preparations. Said it to her in a matter of fact way that belied the enormity of his words.

Yes he had been hinting at it for weeks. Beating about the bush about the fact that he would bring another woman into their matrimonial home. She had tried to talk him out of it. When that hadn’t worked she had tried especially hard to please him. He hadn’t mentioned it again so she thought her tactic had worked- until that day.

Hadiza’s legs felt like they would give way when Mohammed started to walk away. The door slammed shut after him and she crumpled to the ground with all the fight gone out of her. She knew from the look in his eyes that he no longer loved her.

This was all so unreal. Now her heart was racing, her breathing was rapid and the room seemed to spin.  Her chest felt heavy and her limbs were tingly and numb. Surely she was having a heart attack. She managed to reach for her phone and dialed Mama Jamilu’s number.

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A panic attack is a short period of intense fear that lasts for 5 to 25 or 30 minutes and comes with several physical symptoms. The symptoms vary and include; palpitations (a pounding, racing heart), chest pain or heaviness, rapid breathing or shortness of breath, dizziness, numbness or tingling and a feeling of detachment or unreality.

(It can really be quite scary especially if you’ve never experienced this before.)

During an attack people typically fear that they might die, lose control or go completely insane.

A heart attack is the lay word for myocardial infarction. It happens because the blood that is supposed to get to the heart (to keep it working) is cut off- usually because of clogged arteries.  (There are many things that clog these arteries but that’s discussion for another day.)

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 Hadiza could not have explained to anyone who asked her how she had gotten to the hospital emergency room later that night. Mama Jamilu, her neighbour and close friend, fluttered around her. Like a chicken protecting her chick she thought and a smile spread across her lips as she closed her eyes.

She was connected to a cardiac monitor which gave off intermittent beeps that announced to no one in particular that her heart was fine and had a good rhythm. She had an intravenous drip inserted into her arm and vaguely remembered the nurse telling her that she had been given a sedative.

But none of the medicines she had been given, not even the intravenous sedative could numb the pain that was in her heart.

Mohammed did not love her anymore!

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Panic attacks arise because of the ‘catastrophic misinterpretation’ people make about their symptoms. This means that people with panic attacks mistake normal bodily symptoms to mean something far more sinister like a heart attack, mental illness, stroke or impending death.

Hadiza had been exchanging words with her husband and experienced an increased heart rate, rapid breathing and other symptoms, all of which are normal bodily responses.

She had a panic attack (intense fear with symptoms of numbness, tingling and derealisation- i.e feeling of unreality) because she mistook these normal symptoms of rapid heart rate and rapid breathing which occur when anyone is angry, to mean that she was having a heart attack.

Symptoms of panic can easily be confused with those of a heart attack.

Usually heart attack sufferers are middle aged and have underling health issues like hypertension, raised cholesterol levels and diabetes. They may have a family history of similar problems.

But there are no absolutes in medicine. Young people can have elevated blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol levels all of which increase their risks of a heart attack (myocardial infarction).

A thorough medical check-up is the easiest way to tell between a panic attack and a heart attack.

Furthermore, people with heart conditions may also suffer from panic attacks.

Even though panic attack victims feel as though they might die they’re usually found to be in good physical health.

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Mohammed didn’t show up at the hospital to visit his wife until early the next morning. By then she had been transferred from the emergency room to a private room.

If she had expected him to apologize and change his mind about his intended marriage she was dead wrong.

Her heart sunk when he sat beside her bed and explained, saying all the things she didn’t want to hear. The wedding would take place the following month. The date had been fixed. The woman was a pharmacist at the general hospital.

Hadiza was no longer listening. She turned to face the wall. Both to hide her tears and to create some distance between them. Her life was over.

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Recurrent panics attack could result in a panic disorder. People with panic disorders have panic attacks and also avoid places and situations because they’re scared that they might have panic attacks in those places or situations.

Untreated this condition could severely reduce the quality of life of sufferers. Affecting their relationships, jobs and overall wellbeing.

A Heart attack could lead to death. Survivors are managed by medical doctors with medicines and lifestyle changes.

Panic attack sufferers improve with psychotherapy given with or without medications.

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Hadiza had no symptoms as long as she focused on her children. But the heaviness in her chest, tingling and weakness in her arms would resurface whenever something reminded her of him- her husband, with the other woman.

She had stopped taking her take home medicines because they helped with the tingling and weakness, but did nothing for the heaviness in her chest.

Her mother’s counsel and frequent calls did nothing but aggravate her.

It didn’t help that her husband had gotten a separate house for his 2 wives. He had betrayed her.

She looked at the hospital card she had been given and decided finally to take her doctor’s advice. She placed a call through to the hospital and booked to see the Psychotherapist.

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Hadiza’s symptoms eventually disappeared after weeks of therapy.

She was diagnosed as having had recurrent panic attacks.

 

Have you ever experienced a panic attack? We’d love to hear from you! Please leave a Comment.

Questions? Feel free to Ask the Therapist

Do stay safe!

Warm regards,