Of panic disorder is when the child repeated, has frequent panic attacks, at least once a week. Panic attacks are attacks which last for about 20 min. During the attacks the affected children show somatic and cognitive symptoms, or both. The diagnosis is made clinically. Treatment includes benzodiazepines, SSRIs or behavioral therapy.
Compared to young people panic disorders are rare in prepubertal children. Panic attacks can (z. B. agoraphobia, separation anxiety) or psysischen disorders (eg. As obsessive compulsive disorder) or certain diseases (eg., Asthma) may occur alone or with other anxiety disorders. Panic attacks can trigger an asthma attack and vice versa.
Of panic disorder is when the child repeated, has frequent panic attacks, at least once a week. Panic attacks are attacks which last for about 20 min. During the attacks the affected children show somatic and cognitive symptoms, or both. The diagnosis is made clinically. Treatment includes benzodiazepines, SSRIs or behavioral therapy. Compared to young people panic disorders are rare in prepubertal children. Panic attacks can (z. B. agoraphobia, separation anxiety) or psysischen disorders (eg. As obsessive compulsive disorder) or certain diseases (eg., Asthma) may occur alone or with other anxiety disorders. Panic attacks can trigger an asthma attack and vice versa. Symptoms include a sudden emergence of intense fear accompanied by somatic symptoms (eg. As palpitations, sweating, trembling, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, chest pain, nausea, dizziness). Compared to those in adults panic attacks in children and adolescents are often outwardly more dramatic (z. B. with screaming, crying and hyperventilation). This behavior may alarming effect on parents and others. Panic attacks develop spontaneously, but over time begin to children, they assign certain situations and environments. Affected children then try to avoid these situations, which can lead to agoraphobia (agoraphobia in children and adolescents). Agoraphobia is diagnosed in a child, when daily life is only difficult to manage (to school, visit a shopping center or other typical activities). Diagnosis Clinical examination evaluation of other causes a panic disorder is made based on history. Advance usually goes a physical examination to rule out other disorders that have similar somatic symptoms. Many children are subjected to costly diagnostic tests before a panic disorder is suspected as the cause. The presence of other diseases, particularly asthma, may complicate the diagnosis further. A careful psychiatric examination should rule out other disorders (eg. As OCD, social anxiety disorder) because these disorders may be the primary problem and the panic attacks only the secondary. In adults are among the most important diagnostic criteria for panic disorder and the fear of the next panic attack, or worry about their impact and changing their behavior. But children and younger adolescents is usually lacking in insight and experience to develop these concerns. But it may be that they change their behavior to avoid situations where they fear a panic attack. Prognosis The prognosis is good with treatment. If left untreated, it can happen that the young people drop out of school, to withdraw from society, locked and become suicidal. The severity of panic disorder often increases for no apparent reason and again. Some patients are symptom-free for a long time, then suddenly relapse after years. Therapy Usually, benzodiazepines or SSRI accompanied by behavioral therapy Treatment is usually a combination of medication and behavioral therapy. In children, it can even be hard to start with a behavioral therapy before the panic attacks are medically controlled. Benzodiazepines are most effective. SSRI however, are often preferred as the benzodiazepines have a sedative effect and affect learning and memory. However, the SSRIs do not work fast enough, and short courses of benzodiazepines (eg. as lorazepam 0.5-2.0 mg po three times daily) can help the time to bridge to the effect of SSRIs.