Oftentimes, it is difficult to tell the difference between an asthma attack and a panic attack. It is important to know the difference, as an asthma attack may need urgent medical treatment to prevent asphyxiation. A panic attack is treated a different way, and does not require emergency medical treatment. The main difference between an asthma attack and a panic attack is that you can die from asphyxiation from an untreated asthma attack; a panic attack will not kill you or harm you.
An asthma attack is characterized shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, labored breathing, breathing with neck muscles, fatigue with breathing muscles, and difficulty speaking. You may feel like you are going to die from shortness of breath and not getting enough air. In addition, when you suffer from an asthma attack, you may be unable to move freely and may have difficulty eating and drinking, as your body is not being oxygenated properly. With an asthma attack, you may also find lying down to sleep may be difficult as this position worsens the shortness of breath. Asthma attacks can last for several hours if breathing interventions at home are not effective.
A panic attack is characterized by extreme anxiety, shortness of breath, chest pain, light-headedness, tingling and numbness of the arms and legs, feeling like you are going to die, feeling like you are having a heart attack, and sweating/overheating. Panic attacks typically last for only 5 to 10 minutes. They do not last all day or last for several hours.
When you have an asthma attack, it is often helpful to find someone you trust, and they may be able to assist with your breathing and your inhalants. The person that assists you in an asthma attack can help you slow down your breathing by talking you through your breaths in a low, hypnotic, non-critical voice. Focus on something else, like an object immediately in front of you. Then start slowing down your fast, shallow breathing by taking deeper breaths, and blowing out the breaths through your mouth (making an ‘O’ with your mouth), blowing out the air directed at the object you are focusing on in front of you. As your breaths start slowing down, take multiple puffs of your inhaler, like Albuterol (salbutamol). If you experience worsening shortness of breath and labored breathing after these breathing interventions, then it may be time to go to the emergency department for urgent medical care to prevent asphyxiation.
In summary, the main difference between an asthma attack and a panic attack is that an asthma attack is associated with risk for asphyxiation, which can be fatal if untreated; a panic attack will not kill you or harm you. Asthma attacks are also different in clinical presentation than a panic attack in that an asthma attack consists of wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, labored breathing, breathing with neck muscles, and fatigue in breathing muscles. Another difference is that an asthma attack can last for several hours if untreated; a panic attack peaks anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes, and then subsides. For more information on panic attacks and medical problems that mimic panic attacks like asthma attacks, read my book on anxiety, Anxiety Protocol. Anxiety Protocol can help you to eradicate anxiety from your life.
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awesome information is giving in this video nd details, it clearly tells the difference between panic and asthma attack, thanku soo much sir
I’m glad it was helpful!
Is there a way to tell if another person is having an asthma or anxiety attack? If they suffer from both.
Yes, there is…the article gives you the detailed answers.
My daughter seems to be suffering from both asthma and panic attacks regularly. I have been told today that panic attacks can also present wheezing ? Is this true ? As I usually differentiate the attacks based on the wheezing being linked only to her asthma..
Wheezing is from the constriction of the air passages in the lungs, and this is mediated by an inflammatory response, which is also known as asthma. This does not occur in panic attacks.
Often, I have cheast tightness, shortness of breath and my throat feels thick. But no other anxiety symptoms except maybe muscle tension. How do I know if I’m having an asthma attack or just an anxiety attack? Is wheezing and coughing the main difference between the two? Is it possible to have asthma without wheezing and coughing? My breathing issues lasts on/off all day.
The article discusses in detail the difference between an asthma attack and anxiety attack…wheezing and coughing are some of the differences between the two.
Everyday for the past week i have had shortness of breath. Felt light headed and struggling to sleep. It hasnt stopped. I had this problem about 5 months ago and had to go to A&E as i thought i was having a heart attack. Heart rate scan came back fine. I assumed this was just anxiety related. This lasted months. Eventually dubsided and i have been fine for at least 5 months. Only in the last week it has come back. It hasnt gone away! My chest always feels tight. I havent been diagnosed with asthma and i havent called the doctors yet as i dont want to go yet again about anxiety to get no help. I just need a little help to fine out if it is anxiety or if it is asthma. Both symptoms seems very familiar i’m not sure what i could be struggling with
If you have asthma, you’ll most likely have shortness of breath, wheezing, and coughing. Your family doctor should be able to help you determine if you have asthma vs. anxiety.
I have had this feeling that comes and goes. I feel like my chest is tight and I have to yawn every few minutes to take a deep breath and breath. What could this be? Som days I am fine and don’t feel this at al and other days like today I have felt it since I woke up.
It could be anxiety- breathing is very important to eradicate anxiety. See this self-help resource: https://anxietyboss.com/diaphragmatic-breathing-to-calm-yourself/
I have suffered from Depression and Anxiety in the past. About a year and a half ago I felt my medication at the time was losing its effectiveness. So the doctor prescribed me Zoloft. I took it for a while but as my dosage was increased I started getting these horrible shortness of breath. I thought I wasn’t exercising enough or something. It never occurred to me that it was the medication. I had a business trip coming up that I had been planning for months. I had worked so hard on it. However, once there, I started feeling bizarre. I didn’t know at the time, but I was having a prolonged panic attack that lasted the entire morning. I remember standing in the bathroom not being able to breath and feeling so afraid. I had to cancel everything. It was humiliating and shameful because I didn’t know what was wrong. Once I got home I was stricken with horrible guilt and regret. Then I read that the medication could cause extreme panic attacks in some people. Everything finally made sense! I went off the medication and went back to my old one. I feel much better now and haven’t had a panic attack since. I still feel extremely regretful about messing up that business trip because it really put me back professionally and financially, but at least I found out what was wrong.
Thanks for sharing. What you describe is not a common side effect to sertraline- in fact yours is the first one I heard of. But glad you found the culprit.