Panic Attacks During Menopause - What You Can Do to Prevent Them

A large number of women experience increased panic attacks when reaching perimenopause and during the menopausal period. The most common symptoms experienced include racing heart beats, breathing difficulties, unusual intense energy, rushes of energy, electric currents, hot prickly sensations, vibrations, ice cold and tingly sensations, among others.

Studies have shown that menopausal women don't always get long-term relief from the symptoms of panic, even after using Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT).

Hormone imbalances that occur during perimenopause and menopause can be the cause of this uncomfortable symptom. These imbalances can create an environment where you have an increased vulnerability to anxiety types of disorders. Although hormones may catalyze intense feelings, they aren't necessarily the direct cause. To eliminate panic attacks during menopause, you may need to consult your primary physician before making a decision on how to deal with it.

Women who experience this kind of anxiety during menopause often:

• Breathe rapidly and shallowly


• Hardly make use of the diaphragm in breathing


• Breathe with the muscles of the chest, neck and shoulders

Understanding Panic Attacks

With the onset of menopause, feeling that something 'bad' is about to happen, many women suffer create anxiety for themselves. The hormonal changes not only affect the menstrual cycle and the changing body, they also affect the mind, spirit and emotions of the menstrual women. We tend to worry when we don't recognize what is going on with ourselves.

Women who suffer from this kind of feeling have one thing in common - they do not breathe properly. In fact, they breathe about twice a fast as normal breathers. You are calmly reading a book or sitting in front of the TV, when suddenly out of the blue, your heart rate accelerates, and you experience panic and terror for no apparent reason. This is what people typically experience as an anxiety attack.

Sometimes you might have persistent periods of this kind of event. In fact, the sudden onslaught of anxiety may raise concerns about another attack coming through, and this may exhibit significant behavioral changes in you.

Panic attacks strike suddenly and like the waves at the beach, come in ebbs and flows. The intense physical sensations that accompany them may make you think that you may be suffering a heart attack! Generally, if your response to such attacks is always negative, the experience can be further exasperated.

Reports show that younger post-menopausal women are more prone to panic attacks. There are ways to avoid this unfortunate and unnecessary experience. As a women going through menopause, just be aware that panic attacks are possible.

Being conscious of the possibility allows you to train yourself to not respond to anxiety with fear. Join a local yoga center and learn to do deep breathing. Or ask a vocal coach how to breathe like a baby; from your lower abdomen. Try it, you might surprise yourself.