Tag: dizziness

Panic Attack Medications Can You Live Without Them?

Medications, a quick fix solution, are the most common way out of panic attacks. They are, for sure, not the ultimate solution to all behavioral dysfunction and many people have become well without the aid of them. Nonetheless, they are still being prescribed for two reasonsbecause they work and because they are convenient.

But can people with panic attacks truly live normally without the medications? For those who believe in their capacity to help themselves intro treatment other than taking pills and tablets, they can. Sadly for those who are used to the idea of resorting to meds for cure, it may be a bit hard not to take them.

People who depend too heavily on medication for the alleviation of panic attack symptoms know for a fact that dependence will ultimately occur. Along with the possibility that they will not get cured of their behavioral condition, they also will create another problem for themselveshow to recover from dependence on the medication? This truth is perhaps further exacerbated by the fact that panic attack medications are not the typical over the counter drugs that one could easily get over with.

Oftentimes, these drugs (e.g. valium and antidepressants) are meant to cure serious cases of mental disorders. Eventually, the patients will no longer suffer from only one condition but two serious conditions. The bonus? The addiction adds and aggravates the unpleasant experiences accompanying panic attacks. This is the common experience of people who rely too much on laboratory-produced substances.

Apart from drug dependence, panic attack medications can also trigger side effects at varying degrees. Typical examples of side effects are slower reflexes, light headedness, lack of energy, nausea, dizziness, upset stomach, blurry vision, disorientation, memory loss, confusion, impaired judgment, reduced brain activity, slurred speech and depression. Beyond the typical side effects, panic attack medications can also pose added risks overtime especially when certain combinations of medications are used.

Another problem that may be experienced are the paradoxical effects they could elicit. Paradoxical effects include those conditions that are excited by the use of specific medications which include irritability and anxiety at the less serious levels, and mania, aggression and hallucination at the more advanced stages.

Further, panic attack medications come with hefty price tagsnot really the best way of exacerbating your already serious behavioral disorder.

However, despite all the negativities surrounding panic attack medications, their effects should not be counted as entirely useless or dangerous. They were made to provide symptom relief and possible cure to start with. Thus, not all effects are bad. Nonetheless, it must be remembered that relief from the symptoms should not be entirely dependent on their effects. They must only be used when extremely necessary. Otherwise, these medications, which are by nature foreign chemicals, might destroy something in you that is beyond repairable.

The truth is, there are a number of ways to cure yourself from panic attacks apart from depending on medications to give you the solution. Behavioral therapies as well as cognitive approaches are among the best alternatives to drugs. Group and individual therapies are also good options. But despite all the promises of these therapies and treatments, if the person lacks the determination to take himself out of the grip of panic attacks, all these may prove useless.

Over the years, medical professionals and patients alike proved that only the person, the patient of panic attacks, could find the cure for his condition.

Help Someone Having a Panic Attack

Panic attacks often occur to anyone without warning. So whenever someone had an attack, it is important that you know what to do.

Understand what a panic attack is. A panic attack is a sudden surge of overwhelming fear or anxiety. It is manifested by several signs and symptoms. During an attack, a person experiences increased heartbeat or palpitation, chest pain, hyperventilation or shortness of breath, stomach churning, upset stomach, trembling and shaking, muscle tension, sweating, dizziness and light-headedness, hot or cold flashes, tingling sensation or numbness, fear of dying, going crazy or losing control and feeling detached from the surroundings.

Seek for emergency medical help. It is important to call for a health professional especially if a person experiences an attack for the first time.

Identify the cause of the symptoms. The signs and symptoms of panic attack are similar to medical conditions. Hyperventilation or shortness of breath can be a sign of asthma. Chest pain, increased heartbeat or palpitation and sweating can be a heart attack. Talk to the person and determine if the symptoms are caused by other medical conditions. When in doubt, a health professional will be a great help.

While waiting for help, find the cause of attack. Once it is established that the cause of the symptoms is really a panic attack, find the source of the panic and take the person away from it. Do not make an assumption about what the person needs. A person who is suffering from the attack may know exactly what to do or has medications which will get him through the attack, so it is best to ask.

Don’t surprise the patient. Be predictable with your movements. Do not grab, hold or restrain. Keep him calm and stay calm yourself. Reassure the person that everything is going to be fine but do not dismiss his fear by saying “it’s all in your mind” or “don’t worry about it” or “you are overreacting.” Take note that the fear is very real to the victim so it dismissing the fear has no effect or can even make the matter worse.

Help the patient to control his breathing. Many patients breathe heavily during an attack; others hold their breath. Using deep breathing technique is a very effective way to purge the symptoms of a panic attack as well as calm the patient down. Guide the person and tell him to breathe in for 3 slow counts. Then ask him to hold his breath for 3 slow counts and breathe out for another 3 slow counts. Do this several times until the person is calm. You can also advice him to breathe into a paper bag. This way, he will re-breathe his carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide helps correct the blood acid level that had been disturbed by excessive breathing. But be careful when using paper bags since they may trigger another fear.

Stay with the person throughout his ordeal. Never leave a person especially if he is having difficulty in breathing. Be patient. They may act rude or unfriendly but remember that it is temporary and will go back to normal as soon as the attack is over.

Do not forget that for the patient, the thoughts are real. Reassure him the help is on the way. Never allow the patient to do things that will put his life at risk.

Handling Anxiety Attacks

Anxiety attacks can be seen as an abnormal and irrational panic over trivial things or accidents or for no reason at all. Attacks usually occur without warning and a person can simply burst into fear. Triggers can cause anxiety attack like getting stuck in the elevator or being called to recite in the class but in other cases, attacks come out of the blue. An anxiety attack is disproportionate reaction to the situation or the problem at hand, leaving the person excessively fearful, or sometimes incapacitated, which affects life, relationships, happiness and peace of mind.

Symptoms of Anxiety Attack

A person undergoing an episode of anxiety attack shows the following symptoms:

Heart palpitation (increase in heartbeat)
Hot flashes or chills
Hyperventilation
Surge of overwhelming panic
Feeling detached or unreal
Trembling or shaking
Trouble breathing
Feeling of losing control, going crazy; or fear of dying
Choking sensation
Nausea or stomach crams
Sweating
Dizziness
Chest discomfort or pain

Handling anxiety attacks

Anxiety attacks usually peak within 10 minutes and rarely last for half an hour. But during this time, a person can totally lose control of himself and show symptoms mentioned above. To handle this attack, a person must:

Relax Although it is often impossible to relax during an attack, it is very crucial not to submit yourself to your emotion. Breathe. Deep breathing helps calms and relaxes your mind and body. During an anxiety attack, focus your breathing to slow down your heartbeat. This also diverts your attention from the attack which helps you recover faster. Take some time and practice deep breathing exercises even if you are not stressed or feel anxious.

Think positively Again, during an anxiety attack, it is often impossible to relax or even calm yourself, but you have to be in control. Push more positive thoughts to your head. Instead of thinking that others will humiliate you or you are going to faint because you cannot take the pressure, think of the good things. Do no anticipate that something bad will happen because in reality, there isn’t. Keep in mind that the more you think negatively, the more anxious and panicky it is going to be.

Think that it will be over soon and it will. Anxiety attacks do not last for more than an hour so there is no reason for you to think and feel that your world is over. You don’t have to be mindful of the time. You don’t even have to count every minute that passed. What you should be doing is be conscious that it will not going to last forever.

Start an exercise program We have heard that exercise has lots of benefits both to the body and the mind. It is also a great stress buster and anxiety reliever. Experts agree that as little as 30 minutes of exercise, 3 to 5 times a week is enough to lower the level of stress and reduce the chances of having episodes of anxiety attacks.

Talk to someone you trust It can be your friend, your wife (husband), a relative or a therapist. Often, having someone who listens and understands what a person is going through will make a lot of difference. This is because it allows you to bring out your emotion rather than keeping it to yourself.

Chiropractic Care versus Traditional Medical Care

Are you suffering from mild to severe pain and discomfort? Whether it is your knees, hands, neck, back, fingers, toes, or another part of the body that hurts, you may be ready to schedule an appointment with your primary care physician. This is nice, but have you considered chiropractic care? If not, you should. It is similar, but also very different from traditional medical care. How?

Natural versus Artificial

Over the past few years, a lot of focus has been placed on natural and organic. Many Americans are making the switch to all natural and organic foods and supplements. This nice, but many of those same people turn to traditional forms of medicine and over-the-counter pain relievers to seek relief. This is not natural. Chiropractic care is. Chiropractors may use x-rays and MRIs to diagnose a problem and decide on a course of treatment, but that treatment is done with the precision of the hands. It is manual therapy.

Medications

Medications are commonly prescribed in traditional forms of medical care. They are not with chiropractic care. In fact, chiropractors are unable to write prescriptions. Some believe this is because they arent enough of a doctor. This is not true. The main reason for their inability to write prescriptions is because they do not believe in their use. Patients are not discouraged from seeking temporarily pain relief with over-the-counter products, but it is only temporary. Chiropractors prefer to make adjustments to treat the problem of pain at it source, not mask the problem with prescription medication.

Side Effects

In keeping with medication, it is important to note the side effects. They are common. It is rare to find a prescribed pain reliever without side effects. Even little side effects, such as an upset stomach or dizziness, can have a profound impact on your life. When seeking medical care, you want to seek relief, not have a new set of problems to deal with. That is why chiropractic care is best to treat pain, discomfort, and decreased mobility. Since there are no drugs prescribed, you will not experience side effects. But, you will get positive effects from either proper adjustments or therapeutic massages.

Safety

In terms of safety, there are little to no risks associated with chiropractic care. In fact, care is recommended for individuals of all ages. Both those young and old can benefit from chiropractic care. With traditional medical care, there are more risks present. Many of the medications prescribed are only safe for certain individuals. For example, those under the age of 4 can rarely seek safe pain relief from over-the-counter or prescribed medications. They can, however, get a safe therapeutic massage or undergo a safe realignment to treat pain and discomfort.

Complications

Chiropractors cannot perform surgery. In most cases, it is not needed. Patients who seek medical care experience pain, discomfort, and decreased mobility. As previously stated, realignment or a therapeutic massage may do the trick. Since surgery is only considered a last resort and performed by surgeon, there is little risk of complications. Surgery opens up a world of complications, including the invasion of germs and infection. Since the body is naturally healed using manual therapy, complications are non-existent.

NOTE: Chiropractors encourage those suffering from pain, discomfort, and difficultly moving to seek chiropractic care. What they dont encourage is avoiding all traditional forms of medical care. Some conditions, such as the flu, cancer, and diabetes cannot be treated with manual therapy. Never put your health at risk. Chiropractic care is best to treat pain and discomfort. Always keep your primary care physician in mind for other non-pain related medical problems.

In short, there are many differences between chiropractic care and medical care. So, which should you opt for? If you suffer from pain or experience difficulty moving, contact a local chiropractor. See what they can do for you. Since there are little to no risks, you have nothing to lose.

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