What is panic attack? Here are common signs you must know

American singer and songwriter Miley Cyrus recently felt a panic attack was going to grip her in a middle of performance and eased her fears by talking to the audience. "Panic attacks are fear responses that are abrupt, intense, and highly disruptive to the individual’s capacity to function in response to the fear. "If you’ve been having recurrent panic attacks to the point it’s disrupting your every day functioning and overall wellbeing – you may be dealing with a state called, panic disorder," says Kabir. Signs and symptoms of a panic attack: * An impeding sense of doom or danger * Feeling as if you’re losing control * Increased heart rate, heart pounding, palpitations and sweating * Tightness in your chest leading to difficult breathing * Hot or cold flashes * Nausea, Abdominal cramping, loose motions * Headache, light-headedness, dizziness or a feeling of unconsciousness Causes of panic attack "Some research suggests that our body's natural fight-or-flight response to danger is involved in panic attacks. Panic attacks don’t necessarily have a definitive cause – it can be due to genetic reasons, facing extremely stressful situations or experiencing changes in the functionality of your body and mind.