What Exactly Is The Difference Between A Panic Attack And A Heart Attack- You Tell Me!

Working at an urgent care facility, I see a lot of acute heart attacks as well as extreme panic attacks. I was poking around the internet and my old text books this morning looking for definitive differences on the ol’ anxiety attack and MI. I know that some experience such extreme panic type feelings, heart palpitations and shortness of breath, that the only definitive way to tell exactly what is going on is looking for ST changes on an EKG.

So much of what I read really bothered me. “The difference is that panic attacks are not crushing and heart attacks you feel into your left arm” and “Heart attacks are not associated with palpitations and shortness of breath”. Really?????

I think not, I have had patients explain all of the above for both MI’s and panic attacks. I decided to do a little poll to see what you have experienced or heard first hand. I wanted to see what the rest of the world thinks…