Your Heart Pounds. You Feel Dizzy, Sweaty and Weak.

It may be panic disorder—a highly treatable illness

Panic attacks are one type of anxiety disorder which also includes such disorders as:

Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Phobias

Panic disorder is a highly treatable illness. Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network
offers the latest in education, specialized counseling, and medications to allow a return to a more fulfilling life.

Symptoms of a panic attack include:

A pounding heart
Feeling dizzy, sweaty and weak
Numb, tingling hands
Chest pain
Nausea
Sense of impending doom

These attacks can even occur during sleep. Many people feel like they’re having a heart attack. Many people go to the emergency department or doctor’s office more than once before a correct diagnosis is made.

Approximately 3 percent of Americans 18 and older suffer from this disorder. The illness may be accompanied by depression or other serious conditions because the effects on people’s lives are not just limited to the “attack” itself. Some people avoid everyday activities such as driving or shopping, for fear of experiencing a panic attack in a potentially dangerous setting. Others avoid any other environment where they had such an attack in the past.

Fortunately, help is available close to home at Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. Find out how we can help move your life forward by clicking on our services below.

	Adolescent and Child Mental Health Services When a young person feels stressed-out or hopeless, we can help More >>
	Inpatient Programs Most behavioral health illnesses do not require a lengthy hospitalization More >>
	Mental Health Outpatient Programs We’ll help you cope with stress, anxiety, marriage problems or the death of a loved one More >>
	Partial Hospitalization Program You can receive treatment during the day and return home at night More >>

This page last updated 2/12/08 04:08 PM

Mental Health

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Lehigh Valley Hospital has campuses in Allentown and Bethlehem, Pa. and serves the Pennsylvania communities of Easton, Doylestown, Quakertown, Hazelton, Lehighton, Perkasie, Pottstown, Pottsville, Reading, Scranton, Wilkes Barre, Stroudsburg, and the Poconos and also Phillipsburg and Flemington, N.J., and western New Jersey. You don't have to travel to Philadelphia or New York for quality health care.