There have been many studies done on the various causes of panic attacks.
Panic is a natural reaction to a threat or dangerous situation.
Your brain is designed to react in such a way as to protect yourself from danger.
If something was going to fall on top of you, your first reaction is to jump out of the way.
If you didn't, you could be injured or even killed.
Some of us though react to situations that are not threatening and seem to have anxiety over nothing.
Most attacks though are triggered by some form of stress or anxiety that sets off an attack for the first time.
Usually some event in a person's life can cause your body to react in an abnormal way that comes out in the form of a full blown panic attack.
Everyone reacts in some way to a stressful situation, but some people tend to react differently.
Examples of some stressful events are: A Divorce, marriage, birth of a baby, death in a family, and a major job change Actually pregnancy itself has been known to be a cause of panic attacks.
It is thought that hormones are the culprit.
 Certain medications and illnesses can also trigger them.
Having Thyroid disease, Hypoglycemia or bipolar disorder can cause them.
Some doctors believe that panic attacks can be hereditary, passed down in families.
Whatever the causes of panic attacks are, whether real or imagined, to the person having one, they can be frightening and scary.
Your body is reacting to a situation in a way that makes you uncomfortable.