It is difficult to define exactly when that feeling of apprehension gives way to a genuine anxiety attack.
It is not even easy to define exact anxiety attacks symptoms.
However in 1994 The American Psychiatric Association published in their Diagnostic and Statistical Manual a definition of a panic attack as "a discreet period of intense discomfort in which four or more of the following symptoms develop abruptly and reach a peak within 10 minutes".
The Association then gave a list of symptoms.
One of the most common symptoms is heart palpitations, increased pulse rate and pounding of the heart.
This can be accompanied by excessive sweating and trembling or shaking.
Another common symptom of an anxiety attack are chills and hot flushes.
The sufferer may mistake the symptoms as the onset of a heart attack as sufferers often complain of chest pains or discomfiture and possibly a choking sensation.
Another common experience is the feeling of nausea, stomach pains and in some cases the sufferer may actually vomit.
It is not uncommon for someone undergoing an anxiety attack to feel light headed and dizzy.
They may become unsteady on their feet and possibly even faint which in its own way is a cure for that particular attack.
Some suffers to claim to have felt an almost out of body experience, this is known as De realisation or feeling of unreality.
Some people will hyperventilate and this can lead to a numbing or tingling sensation especially in their extremities.
There can also be a very real fear of losing control or going out of their mind.
In some cases the patient may well believe that they are going to die.
Someone undergoing an attack will have a combination of some of the above symptoms though hopefully not all of them.
They are very real to the sufferer and can be both alarming and debilitating.
If you have experienced some of these sensations then you should arrange to see your medical advisor.
The sad truth is that if you allow these attacks to go untreated they could well get worse and more frequent.
These days the medical profession take anxiety attacks very seriously and are far more likely to treat the symptoms seriously than they may have done in the past.
If you are not a sufferer but know someone else who demonstrates anxiety attacks symptoms then you should encourage them to seek medical advice.
Anxiety attacks are no joking matter and can ruin peoples lives.
It is not even easy to define exact anxiety attacks symptoms.
However in 1994 The American Psychiatric Association published in their Diagnostic and Statistical Manual a definition of a panic attack as "a discreet period of intense discomfort in which four or more of the following symptoms develop abruptly and reach a peak within 10 minutes".
The Association then gave a list of symptoms.
One of the most common symptoms is heart palpitations, increased pulse rate and pounding of the heart.
This can be accompanied by excessive sweating and trembling or shaking.
Another common symptom of an anxiety attack are chills and hot flushes.
The sufferer may mistake the symptoms as the onset of a heart attack as sufferers often complain of chest pains or discomfiture and possibly a choking sensation.
Another common experience is the feeling of nausea, stomach pains and in some cases the sufferer may actually vomit.
It is not uncommon for someone undergoing an anxiety attack to feel light headed and dizzy.
They may become unsteady on their feet and possibly even faint which in its own way is a cure for that particular attack.
Some suffers to claim to have felt an almost out of body experience, this is known as De realisation or feeling of unreality.
Some people will hyperventilate and this can lead to a numbing or tingling sensation especially in their extremities.
There can also be a very real fear of losing control or going out of their mind.
In some cases the patient may well believe that they are going to die.
Someone undergoing an attack will have a combination of some of the above symptoms though hopefully not all of them.
They are very real to the sufferer and can be both alarming and debilitating.
If you have experienced some of these sensations then you should arrange to see your medical advisor.
The sad truth is that if you allow these attacks to go untreated they could well get worse and more frequent.
These days the medical profession take anxiety attacks very seriously and are far more likely to treat the symptoms seriously than they may have done in the past.
If you are not a sufferer but know someone else who demonstrates anxiety attacks symptoms then you should encourage them to seek medical advice.
Anxiety attacks are no joking matter and can ruin peoples lives.