The Difference Between a Panic Attack and a Heart Attack

Shortness of breath, numbness in the arms, tingling in the hands, and chest pain are all frightening symptoms of panic attacks and heart attacks. The fear of not knowing the difference can worsen everything when you’re in the middle of these symptoms. Let’s quickly review the differences between a panic attack and a heart attack to help you ease some of the fear and decide if you need to head to the hospital.

What Is a Heart Attack?

The arteries in your heart supply blood and oxygen to the heart muscles, which allow the heart to pump blood to the rest of the body. These arteries are like hollow tubes with a durable outside and a soft, smooth lining. As we age, the lining can produce ridges of fatty deposits, which can form due to inactivity, a high-cholesterol diet, high blood pressure, and more, and will harden over time.

The problem is that these deposits develop between the soft and hard layers of the artery, and if the artery tears due to an overload of build-up, this can partially or entirely block the artery. If blood cannot reach the heart, the tissue can begin to die, causing a heart attack.

What Is a Panic Attack?

Many triggers can cause a panic attack, some of which are completely random. Essentially, your amygdala—which plays a strong role in processing emotions—sends a signal to your brain’s command center, known as the hypothalamus. It then activates your autonomic nervous system, prompting your adrenal glands to flood your body with adrenaline and cortisol. This flood of stress hormones sends the body into fight or flight mode, causing the pupils to dilate, rapid breathing, and taking blood from your torso to your arms and legs so you can run or fight. There is often no source to run or fight from when someone has a panic attack, so your body feels like it’s stuck in a life-or-death situation with no solution.

The Signs of a Panic Attack and a Heart Attack

Being able to identify the symptoms of a heart attack is one of the most important lifesaving skills a person should know, so let’s look at them side-by-side.

Heart Attack Symptoms:

• Sudden squeezing pressure in the chest
• Onset during physical exertion or randomly
• Pain that radiates from the jaw down the shoulder and arm
• Pain that gets worse
• Nausea and vomiting
• Sweating
• Shortness of breath

Panic Attack Symptoms:

• Sharp pain in the middle of the chest
• Tingling in the hands or numbness
• Shaking and racing heart
• Sweating
• Pain that gets better, typically within 20 to 30 minutes
• Sudden onset or onset due to extreme amounts of stress

The Differences Between These Symptoms

If so many of these symptoms overlap, how can you tell the difference between a panic attack and a heart attack? In truth, the pain feels very different.

A panic attack will feel like a sharp stabbing pain, while many who have had a heart attack say it feels like someone is sitting on your chest. However, if you really can’t tell the difference, there’s no shame in going to the hospital and requesting an ECG. Many go to the hospital presenting heart attack symptoms when they’re really having a panic attack. Still, it’s always better to be safe than sorry!