As one of the most common medical conditions we thought it would be useful to share with you these seven great tips for dealing with anxiety.
If you have any other ideas could you please suggest them in the comments section below!
The infographic was created by the Tower of Power.
Panic attacks – why they happen?
Panic attacks and the menopause
Panic attacks, in general, are known to be one of the most frightening, disturbing and uncomfortable experiences of person’s life. The exact source of anxiety, panic attacks, and even heart palpitations during menopause isn’t quite clear yet.
Although the exact cause of panic attacks isn’t familiar yet, because women are more likely than men to experience panic disorders most frequently during PMS, pregnancy and menopause it is assumed that panic attack has something to do with hormonal imbalance.
In most cases, women start experiencing panic attacks during per menopause, the transition period before the actual menopause. During this time, female hormones estrogen and progesterone fluctuate dramatically and start to decline.
When women enter menopause, severity and intensity of symptom experienced during that time could lead to anxiety. If left untreated, anxiety leads to panic attacks that can affect person’s wellbeing and even social life.
Estrogen and progesterone act as natural anxiolytics, which means they work together with the anxiety control receptors in your brain to prevent mood swings and cope with stress, anxiety, and panic attacks. Naturally, as the natural production of these hormones declines in menopause, women become more prone to experiencing these symptoms.
However, hormonal imbalance isn’t the only cause of panic attacks. It is believed that occurrence of different factors contributes to panic attacks. For example:
Do panic attacks end with menopause?
In most cases, women experience panic attacks during perimenopause and menopause, and the severity of panic disorders decreases in post menopause. However, it is still important to mention that experiencing these attacks varies from woman to woman and while some women don’t experience panic disorders in years after menopause, others do.
For example, Smoller JW, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston conducted a study to investigate the prevalence of panic attacks in postmenopausal women. The study included 3369 postmenopausal women who completed questionnaires about the occurrence of panic attacks in the previous six months.
Findings of the study were published in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine, and they showed that full-blown panic attacks in postmenopausal women were associated with a history of a migraine, cardiovascular disease, chest pain, etc. Other causes of panic attacks in postmenopausal women were stressful life events and functional impairment.
Symptoms of panic attacks
Panic attacks prevention
Conclusion
Panic attacks occur in perimenopause and are experienced in menopause as well. Although some women don’t experience them in postmenopausal period, others do. The exact reason for panic disorders is still unknown, but it’s assumed they occur due to hormonal balance coupled with other factors. Healthy lifestyle and stress management can help you prevent panic attacks.
References
https://www.consumerhealthdigest.com/menopause-center/menopause-and-panic-attack.html
Author Bio
Meighan Sembrano is an author at Consumer Health Digest. She has a keen interest in writing. She has contributed many beauty related articles in many popular websites. She has done her Mass Communication degree. She now lives in Washington DC. She is a social worker who spends her free time searching about life, healthy, beauty and lifestyles fitness related articles. She is fond of travelling and trekking. To know more about her, follow her on Facebook and Twitter.
Over the years we have covered anxiety at some length on PatientTalk.Org. Indeed our blogs on the subject looked at some of the signs and symptoms of anxiety. But also to an interview with a lawyer telling us a bit more about your legal rights if you suffer from anxiety.
As some readers will you I am the parent of an eight year old boy with Autistic Spectrum Disorder or ASD. One of the most common symptoms of autism is, in fact , anxiety. So as you can imagine anxiety is an important issue to us as a family.
Do I was delighted to find this excellent infographic which gives a great overview of the whole area of anxiety.
Coffee and Anxiety
The reason he explained to me over a cup of green tea that a couple of cups of coffee would first make him anxious , then bad tempered and finally what he called a “brown study”. Nothing to worry about (he did mention it to his doctor at his next wish and was told that he was indeed correct).
The conversation came back to me this afternoon as I read a very interesting report from the The Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee on the relationship between coffee and anxiety. They define anxiety as “a feeling of nervousness, dread, apprehension, and worry. Mild anxiety is vague and unsettling, while severe anxiety can be extremely debilitating and considered a disorder”.
They say “… the body of scientific evidence to date suggests that caffeine may be associated with an increase in anxiety at moderate levels of intake (150mg caffeine – approximately two cups of coffee) in individuals who are predisposed to this effect, and that symptoms of anxiety are less likely to be seen at lower levels of caffeine intake. It is thought that the adenosine receptor system, which mediates the psychoactive effects of caffeine, is involved in the regulation of anxiety, although the precise mechanism is unknown at present”
In the report they point out that “caffeine seems to have no effect on anxiety in some individuals whilst in others, particularly at moderate (150mg caffeine) levels of intake, caffeine may increase anxiety” and “in high and low anxiety sensitive individuals, similar alertness and symptom reports were shown following caffeine ingestion. Respiratory symptoms were more marked when caffeine was expected and administered in the low anxiety sensitive group and when caffeine was unexpectedly administered in the high anxiety sensitive group”
They conclude “research suggests that there may be a genetic component to this sensitivity, explaining why only some individuals appear to experience an effect, however further research is required to confirm these effects.3 It is worth noting that with frequent consumption, substantial tolerance develops to the anxiety-inducing effect of caffeine, even in genetically susceptible individuals, and therefore the association does not tend to affect levels of coffee consumption”.
Which all seems pretty reasonable to me. What do you think? What impact does coffee have upon you? Please share in the comments section below.
Thanks in advance.
How to get a good night’s sleep
Show date: Thursday 26th February
Show time: 2pm
Fatigue can make us irritable and grumpy, reduce productivity levels, increase our anxiety levels, lead to weight increase as we eat to counter a lack of energy as well as weakening our immune system as our sleepless nights build up.
So for those of us failing to get the recommended eight hours a night – our work, mood and relationships can all start to suffer. Yet as a nation, are we undervaluing the importance of good quality sleep?
The effects of sleep deprivation cannot be ignored. A whole host of things can contribute to us becoming a shattered nation from our home and work life to the general busyness of our 24/7 society.
At the end of a working day, do you struggle to switch off from the pressures of daily life? Log into our live and interactive WebTV show, where Kathleen McGrath will tell you about simple things you can do to improve your night’s sleep.