Contenido:

ANXIETY ATTACK

An anxiety crisis appears quickly and generally during the night. In the beginning the subject appears a little nervous and after half an hour or an hour finds himself really ill, complaining of:

• Feelings of insecurity and the sensation that something awful is going to happen to them, such as death, an incurable illness or madness.
• Fear, irritability, nervousness and insomnia.
• Feeling that their heart is beating too quickly ("palpitations").
• Difficulty breathing and the feeling of suffocating. They tell us they feel weak and that their chest hurts when they breathe.
• Dizziness and vertigo, even to the point of fainting and sleepwalking.

If we observe carefully, we may find one or more of the following signs:

• Dilated pupil.
• Pale skin and sweating, shivering and "goose pimples".
• Trembling.
• They may be so agitated as to demonstrate suicidal thoughts or feelings, or lose the sense of reality.
• Rapid, low intensity respiration and pulse.

The anxiety crisis appears in people who are naturally nervous, that is to say, people who worry about everything. They are very responsible in their work and family and often become nervous when faced with concrete situations such as confined spaces, crowds, work changes… They are also often obsessive and manic people who may constantly want to wash their hands, count objects, are unsure whether or not they have performed a specific action, and return to check again and again (turning off a tap for example).

Norms of action when dealing with a patient suffering from an anxiety attack

Someone who has the confidence of the patient and has a calming effect on him or her should give help. Usually this will be the ship's Captain who should stay with him until it is possible to carry out a consultation by radio with a doctor. This should be done as soon as possible as the patient needs to hear that the doctor recognises their state and that it is transitory and reversible.

THE AIM OF THE TREATMENT FOR SOMEONE SUFFERING AN ANXIETY CRISIS IS TO GIVE THEM THE SECURITY OF KNOWING THAT NOTHING SERIOUS IS TAKING PLACE.

Anxiety attacks are usually of a limited duration, in other words, they come to an end about an hour after they started, though the patient lives through them with such intensity that intervention is necessary.

We should try to make sure that the patient relaxes by telling them to breath deeply and slowly. A hot shower may also be used for the relaxation process.

If the subject is breathing excitedly, that is to say, shallow and rapidly ("as if out of breath"), a plastic or paper bag can be placed over his mouth and nose as if it were a mask and encourage him to breath slowly into the bag.

Later, administer the treatment indicated in the MEDICAL ADVICE VIA RADIO .