Perhaps you will be as surprised to discover that, though there are plenty of theories as to why panic attacks occur, no one knows what exactly causes them. For anyone who has experienced a panic attack, one thing is for sure: they are frightening, debilitating and can truly destroy one's life completely. If you are suffering from a panic attack, there are some factors that are suspect to contribute to them occurring:

Heredity

If your mother or father suffered from panic attacks, your chances of suffering from this disorder increase greatly. Surprised? In a recent study conducted, it was also found that up to 80 percent of twins have been found to share this disorder as well. It may be worth asking your family a couple of questions about panic attacks if you are suffering from any to see if it may be genetically linked.

Medical Conditions

Pre-existing or not, there are particular medical and physical conditions that contribute to a person's vulnerability to panic attacks. Some common conditions are: PTSD, OCD, Hyperthyroidism, Labyrinthitis, or even a Vitamin B deficiency. Check with your medical professional to see if you suffer from any of the above, and discuss other conditions which may attribute to your attacks.

Phobias

This is perhaps an obvious cause for a panic attack. If one is exposed to something they are afraid of, this can trigger a panic attack. This can be as simple as having a friend jump out from behind you and yell "Boo!" or an individual feeling Closter Phobic when in a large crowd.

Life Experiences

Life experiences, such as a death of someone close or the end of a romantic relationship, can cause a severe emotional response and thus lead to a panic attack.

Drugs

You may be surprised to find out that drugs meant to soothe one emotionally, such as marijuana and alcohol can cause a panic attack. Other drugs, such as Catovit, Mazindol, and Sanorex are well known contributors to panic attacks. Panic attack sufferers should also stray from caffeine and nicotine. Make note of any medications that you are currently taking, either before or after you began to have panic attacks (particularly Ritalin or SSRI medications) as these are known to cause panic attacks as a side effect. Oh, and just to compound to the drug issue: if you have recently stopped taking a particular drug, this has also been known to cause anxiety attacks.

Disorders

If you suffer from conditions such as Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome or bipolar disorder, your panic attack may be a side effect to these disorders.

Previous Episode

If you have suffered a panic attack before, there is a great likelihood that you will suffer an episode again in the future. Try to take note each time you have an attack where you are or what is happening at the time of the attack. This may help you determine what is causing this crippling attack.

The most important thing to keep in mind that, no matter what the cause or what factors may be involved, once you have suffered a panic attack once it is important to start investigating the cause of the problem. There are numerous resources out there that can help you find out why you may be suffering from these attacks, and what you can do to help them. Take advantage of the help at hand! You need not live your life in fear any more.