Understanding Anxiety Attacks: Can They Cause Fainting?

An anxiety attack can be a frightening experience with a number of potential dangers including passing out. It is important to understand the implications of anxiety attacks if you or a loved one is prone to them.

• Anxity Attack

Anxiety Attack

• Some people experience an intense degree of anxiety that comes on suddenly without warning and is short lived. These episodes are known as an anxiety or panic attacks. These attacks are different from a more generalized feeling of anxiety that can persists over time, although the two can co-exist.

Incidence

• Each year about 1 to 2 percent of the U.S. adult population experiences an anxiety attack. Anxiety attacks can last anywhere from a few minutes to an hour or more and tend to develop in early adulthood potentially lasting for years.

Serious Symptoms

• Anxiety attacks can produce a number of symptoms one of the more serious being loss of consciousness. Other aspects include; an intense feeling of fear with no known source, sweating, chest pain, hot flashes, chills and dizziness.

Severe Side Effects of Medication

• Loss of consciousness can also be a side effect of anxiety medications. Although this is an uncommon side effect for these drugs it can happen in some cases.

Outcome

• Although anxiety attacks often don't require medical treatment if you experience serious side effects like loss of consciousness you should consult a physician immediately.