Agoraphobia is an intense and irrational fear of being in public places. People who have agoraphobia are afraid of being in any place or situation from which it might be hard for them to escape.

Chest pain is a key warning sign of a heart attack. If you have symptoms of a heart attack, call 911 or other emergency services immediately.

This information will help you understand your choices, whether you share in the decision - making process or rely on your health professionals recommendation.

Information on panic attacks and panic disorder.

Tolls to help you make decisions about your panic disorder.

Learn abouut panic disorder and factors that cause it.

The main symptom of a panic attack is an overwhelming feeling of fear or anxiety, along with physical reactions. The symptoms come on suddenly, often unexpectedly, and the intensity usually peaks within 10 minutes. While most symptoms fade within 30 minut

You may be diagnosed with panic disorder after several unexpected panic attacks and continuing fear of having another attack. These attacks can have mild to severe symptoms and usually last less than 30 minutes. A first panic attack often comes on without

The risk of having panic attacks and developing panic disorder may be increased if you: Have a family history of panic disorder. You are 8 times more likely to develop panic disorder if a family member has been diagnosed with it. You are also at increased

Call your health professional if you experience: Attacks of intense fear or anxiety that seem to come on without a reason. A panic attack or worry that you will have another one and your worrying interferes with your ability to do your daily activities. O

Panic disorder usually is diagnosed through a medical history and a physical exam.

Learn about medication and other treatment for panic disorder.

While panic disorder cannot be prevented, you may be able to prevent or reduce the number of additional panic attacks with proper treatment. Simply avoiding certain situations or places does not guarantee that a panic attack will not occur under new circu

You may be able to decrease the number of panic attacks due to panic disorder and reduce the severity of your symptoms when an attack does occur by: Reducing anxiety by doing tension - reducing activities and lowering the amount of stress in your life. Do

Medications for panic disorder are often used to control the symptoms of panic attacks, reduce their number and severity, and reduce the anxiety and fear associated with having another attack. Learn more.

There is no surgical treatment for panic disorder at this time.

Other treatments for panic disorder include cognitive-behavioral therapy and exposure therapy.

A list of resources on panic disorder.

Information on conditions related to panic disorder.

A list of sources for the information used in this article on panic disorder.