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Your doctor will listen to you describe your symptoms to figure out whether you have panic disorder.

Your doctor will try to find out if you have 4 out of the 13 symptoms of panic disorder. These symptoms are:¹

• A racing, pounding or skipping heartbeat
• Sweating
• Trembling or shaking
• Having a hard time catching your breath or feeling like you are being smothered
• Feeling like you are choking
• Pain in your chest
• Feeling queasy or having an upset stomach
• Dizziness, lightheadedness or feeling like you are going to faint
• Feeling as if things around you aren't real or that you're watching yourself from far away
• Feeling like you are losing control or going crazy
• Feeling like you are going to die
• Numbness or tingling in your body
• Chills or hot flashes.

To find out more, see What are the symptoms of panic disorder?

Often your doctor won't need to do any tests to diagnose panic disorder.

• To be diagnosed with panic disorder, you have to have had at least two panic attacks. But most people with this condition have had many more.
• You also have to either worry all the time about having another attack or change your daily routine to try to avoid having another one.

If you have panic disorder, your panic attacks come out of the blue. They're not triggered by things such as spiders or heights. Also, the panic attacks are not caused by illness, alcohol or taking legal or illegal drugs. And the symptoms are not related to any other kind of mental health problem.

Many people with panic disorder also have agoraphobia. This means they are afraid to be in a place from where it may be difficult to escape from, or where it would be hard to get help if they had a panic attack.¹ If you have agoraphobia, you avoid going to certain places or doing things that you think might trigger another panic attack. For details, see More about agoraphobia.

If your attack has fewer than 4 of the 13 symptoms of a panic attack, it's called a limited symptom attack. These limited attacks are common. But many people who have them get full panic attacks at some point in their life.²

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment. ©BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2008. All rights reserved.