When it comes to controlling panic attacks you need to be well informed as to what causes these attacks as well as what can be done to prevent additional attacks from occurring.
While most guides may point you to the help of a doctor or other trained professional, a good place to start is with the help of a self help guide.
When you are well informed, you do not need to fear your attacks, because you will be armed with the knowledge that can help you stop a panic attack in its tracks.
The technical description by the American Psychiatric Association is a discrete period of intense fear or discomfort that is commonly accompanied by at least four of the thirteen physical or cognitive symptoms.
Those who experience less than four of the symptoms experience something referred to as a limited symptom attack.
The symptoms can include heart palpitations, sweating, trembling, shaking, a shortness of breath, a feeling of choking, chest pain or discomfort, nausea, abdominal pain, dizziness, lightheadedness, pins and needles, diarrhea, dry mouth, headache, chills, hot flashes, depersonalization or derealisation.
Many have reported a fear of losing control to the point that they feel like they will either go crazy or die.
Both the physical and mental symptoms are commonly followed by a desire to escape the situation.
A key part of panic attack self help is learning how to identify the type of panic you may be suffering from.
Here are three of the most common types of panic attacks.
They are:

1. A spontaneous or uncued panic attack.
   These attacks are usually not associated with a situation trigger and will usually occur out of nowhere.
   This type of attack can even occur during periods when the person is relaxing or even sleeping.
   
2. A situational or cued attack.
   These attacks commonly occur in either anticipation of a situation that had caused an attack in the past.
   
3. A situationally or predisposed.
   These attacks commonly occur because of a particular situation.
   The attack may occur during the situation or immediately afterward.
   

Another of the symptoms of a panic attack is the fight or flight response.
When the panic response is activated, the body's survival mechanism kicks in causing us to have to make the determination to either stand and fight or run from the situation in order to protect ourselves from danger.
Any system that is not required for fight or flight is temporarily disabled which makes perfect sense in situations that threaten our safety but when this response occurs when no threat is to be found, this response can be considered anything but normal.
Many of the symptoms of a panic attack that suffers experience are commonly attributed to this fight or flight response.
This response is commonly experienced in anticipation of a feared situation or the fear of having an attack.
At the same time the fear that occurs from either a spontaneous or uncued panic attack has a way of triggering the fight or flight response and it is the extra symptoms that come along with this response that causes additional distress and can create panic attacks for an extended period of time.
Even after the initial symptoms of a panic attack subside, the sufferer can still feel frightened which can keep the fight or flight response active, sometimes for hours.
In order to get your attacks under control, it's a good idea to pay attention to what triggers your attacks and enlist the help of a trained professional if necessary.