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Asthenic syndrome is a psychopathological disorder that is characterized by progressive development and accompanies most diseases of the body. The main manifestations of asthenic syndrome are fatigue, sleep disturbance, decreased performance, both physical and mental, irritability, lethargy, autonomic disorders.
Asthenia is the most common syndrome in medicine. It accompanies infectious and somatic diseases, disorders of the mental and nervous system, occurs in the postpartum, postoperative, post-traumatic period.
Asthenic syndrome should not be confused with ordinary fatigue, which is a natural state of the body of any person after severe mental or physical stress, after changing time zones, etc. Asthenia does not occur suddenly, it develops gradually and remains with a person for many years. It is impossible to cope with asthenic syndrome simply by sleeping at night. His therapy is in the competence of the doctor.
Most often, asthenic syndrome affects people of working age from 20 to 40 years. People engaged in hard physical labor, those who rarely rest, are exposed to regular stress, conflicts in the family and at work can fall into the risk group. Doctors recognize asthenia as a disaster of our time, since it imperceptibly affects a person’s intellectual abilities, his physical condition, and reduces the quality of life. In the clinical practice of any doctor, the proportion of complaints about the symptoms of asthenia is up to 60%
Symptoms of asthenic syndrome
Symptoms of asthenic syndrome are in three basic manifestations:
Symptoms of asthenia itself;
Symptoms of the pathology that led to asthenia;
Symptoms of a person’s psychological reaction to an existing syndrome.
Symptoms of asthenia are most often hardly noticeable in the morning. They tend to build up throughout the day. The clinical signs of asthenia reach their peak in the evening, which forces a person to interrupt his work and rest.
So, the main symptoms of asthenic syndrome are:
Fatigue. All patients complain about fatigue. They note that they begin to get tired more than in previous years, and this feeling does not go away even after a long rest. In the context of physical labor, this manifests itself in a lack of desire to do one’s work, in an increase in general weakness. As for intellectual activity, there are difficulties with concentration, with memory, attentiveness and quick wits. Patients prone to asthenic syndrome indicate that it has become more difficult for them to express their own thoughts, to formulate them into sentences. It is difficult for a person to find words to express any idea, decision-making occurs with some inhibition. To cope with previously feasible work, he has to take a time out to take a break. At the same time, breaks in work do not bring results, the feeling of fatigue does not recede, which provokes anxiety, creates self-doubt, causes internal discomfort due to one’s own intellectual insolvency.
Vegetative disorders. The autonomic nervous system always suffers from asthenic syndrome. Such disorders are reflected in tachycardia, in changes in blood pressure, in hyperhidrosis and pulse lability. Perhaps the appearance of a feeling of heat in the body, or, on the contrary, a person experiences a feeling of chilliness. Appetite suffers, stool disorders appear, which is expressed in the occurrence of constipation. Frequent pain in the intestines. Patients often complain of headaches, heaviness in the head, males suffer from a decrease in potency. (read also: Vegeto vascular dystonia – causes and symptoms)
Violations of the psycho-emotional sphere. Decreased working capacity, difficulties in terms of professional activity cause the appearance of negative emotions. This is a completely natural reaction of a person to a problem that has arisen. At the same time, people become quick-tempered, picky, unbalanced, constantly in tension, unable to control their own emotions and quickly go out of themselves. Many patients with asthenic syndrome have a tendency to increased anxiety, assess what is happening with clearly unfounded pessimism, or, on the contrary, with inadequate optimism. If a person does not receive qualified assistance, then the psycho-emotional disorders are aggravated and can lead to depression, neurosis, and neurasthenia.
Problems with night rest. Sleep disorders depend on what form of asthenic syndrome a person suffers from. With hypersthenic syndrome, it is difficult for a person to fall asleep, when he succeeds, he sees vivid rich dreams, can wake up several times at night, gets up early in the morning and does not feel fully rested. Hyposthenic asthenic syndrome is expressed in drowsiness that haunts the patient during the daytime, and at night it is difficult for him to fall asleep. The quality of sleep also suffers. Sometimes people think that at night they practically do not sleep, although in fact there is sleep, but it is severely disturbed. On the subject: how to fall asleep quickly in 2 minutes?
Patients are characterized by hypersensitivity. So, a weak light seems excessively bright to them, a quiet sound is very loud.
Development of phobias often inherent in people with asthenic syndrome.
Patients often present with symptoms of various diseases.which they don’t actually have. It can be both minor diseases and fatal pathologies. Therefore, such people are frequent visitors to doctors of various specialties.
The symptoms of asthenic syndrome can also be considered in the context of two forms of the disease – this is a hypersthenic and hyposthenic variety of the disease. The hypersthenic form of the disease is characterized by increased excitability of a person, as a result of which it is difficult for him to endure loud noises, screams of children, bright lights, etc. This irritates the patient, forcing him to avoid such situations. A person is haunted by frequent headaches and other vegetative-vascular disorders.
The hyposthenic form of the disease is expressed in low sensitivity to any external stimuli. The patient is depressed all the time. He is lethargic and sleepy, passive. Often people with this type of asthenic syndrome experience apathy, unmotivated anxiety, and sadness.
Causes of asthenic syndrome
Most scientists are of the opinion that the causes of asthenic syndrome lie in overstrain and exhaustion of higher nervous activity. The syndrome can occur in absolutely healthy people who have been exposed to certain factors.
A number of scientists compare asthenic syndrome with an emergency brake, which does not allow the potential for working capacity inherent in a person to be completely lost. Symptoms of asthenia signal a person about an overload, that the body can hardly cope with the resources it has. This is an alarming condition indicating that mental and physical activity should be suspended. Thus, the causes of asthenic syndrome, depending on its form, may vary.
Causes of functional asthenic syndrome.
Acute functional asthenia occurs due to exposure to stress factors, overload at work, as a result of a change in time zone or climatic conditions of residence.
Chronic functional asthenia occurs after infections, after labor, after operations and weight loss. The transferred ARVI, influenza, tuberculosis, hepatitis, etc. can become an impetus. Somatic diseases such as pneumonia, gastrointestinal diseases, glomerulonephritis, etc. are dangerous.
Psychiatric functional asthenia develops against the background of depressive disorders, with increased anxiety and as a result of insomnia.
Functional asthenia is a reversible process, it is temporary and affects 55% of patients with asthenic syndrome. Another functional asthenia is called reactive, as it is the reaction of the body to one or another effect.
Causes of organic asthenic syndrome. Separately, it is worth noting organic asthenia, which occurs in 45% of cases. This type of asthenia is provoked either by a chronic organic disease or a somatic disorder.
In this regard, the following reasons leading to the development of asthenic syndrome are distinguished:
Brain lesions of infectious organic origin are various neoplasms, encephalitis and abscess.
Severe traumatic brain injury.
Pathologies of a demyelinating nature are disseminated encephalomyelitis, multiple sclerosis.
Degenerative diseases are Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, senile chorea.
Vascular pathologies – chronic cerebral ischemia, strokes (ischemic and hemorrhagic).
Factors provocateurs that have a potential impact on the development of asthenic syndrome:
Monotonous sedentary work;
Chronic sleep deprivation;
Regular conflict situations in the family and at work;
Prolonged mental or physical work that does not alternate with subsequent rest.
Diagnosis of the asthenic syndrome
Diagnosis of asthenic syndrome does not cause difficulties for doctors of any specialty. If the syndrome is a consequence of an injury, or develops against the background of a stressful situation or after an illness, then the clinical picture is quite pronounced.
If the cause of asthenic syndrome is any disease, then its signs can be veiled by the symptoms of the underlying pathology. Therefore, it is important to question the patient and clarify his complaints.
It is important to pay maximum attention to the mood of the person who came to the reception, find out the features of his nightly rest, clarify his attitude to work duties, etc. This should be done, since not every patient can independently describe all his problems and formulate his complaints.
When interviewing, it is important to take into account that many patients tend to exaggerate their intellectual and other disabilities. Therefore, not only a neurological examination is very important, but also a study of the intellectual-mnestic sphere of a person, for which there are special tests-questionnaires. Equally important is the assessment of the patient’s emotional background and his reaction to some external stimuli.
Asthenic syndrome has a similar clinical picture with neurosis of the depressive type and hypochondriacal type, but with hypersomnia. Therefore, it is important to conduct a differential diagnosis with these types of disorders.
It is necessary to identify the underlying pathology that could provoke asthenic syndrome, for which the patient must be referred for consultations to specialists of various profiles. The decision is made on the basis of the patient’s complaints and after his examination by a neurologist.
Treatment of asthenic syndrome
Treatment of asthenic syndrome of any etiology is important to start with the implementation of psychohygienic procedures.
Drug treatment is reduced to taking the following drugs:
Anti-asthenic agents: Salbutiamine (Enerion), Adamantylphenylamine (Ladasten).
Nootropic drugs with the effect of psychostimulation and anti-asthenic properties. They give strength, have a stimulating effect. These drugs include: Piracetam, Pyritinol, Gliatilin, Pantogam, Cerebrolysin, Cogitum, Noben, Neuromet, Nooklerin, Phenotropil.
Vitamin and mineral complexes. In the United States, it is customary to treat asthenic syndrome with the appointment of high doses of B vitamins, for example, neuromultivit.
Herbal adaptogens: ginseng, Chinese magnolia vine, Rhodiola rosea, ashwagandha, pantocrine, etc. Related: soothing medicinal herbs
Antidepressants, antipsychotics, procholinergic drugs can be prescribed by neurologists, psychiatrists, and psychotherapists. At the same time, a comprehensive examination of the patient is important. With mild asthenia, Gelarium, Azafen, Trazodone can be prescribed. With severe asthenic syndrome: Clomipramine, Imipramine, Amitriptyline, Fluoxetine.
Depending on the degree of disruption of night rest, hypnotics and sedatives may be recommended for taking, which relieve excessive anxiety. These drugs include Persen and Novo-Passit.
A good effect is given by some physiotherapy, such as: electrosleep, massage, aromatherapy, reflexology.
The general recommendations given by experts are as follows:
The mode of work and rest should be optimized, that is, it makes sense to review your own habits and, possibly, change jobs.
You should start doing tonic physical exercises.
It is important to exclude the impact of any toxic substances on the body.
You should stop drinking alcohol, smoking and other bad habits.
Useful foods enriched with tryptophan are bananas, turkey, wholemeal bread.
It is important to include foods such as meat, soy, legumes in the diet. They are excellent sources of protein.
Do not forget about vitamins, which are also desirable to obtain from food. These are a variety of berries, fruits and vegetables. Separately, it is worth highlighting seeds and brewer’s yeast, as a source of B vitamins in large quantities.
The success of treatment often depends on the accuracy of identifying the cause that led to the development of asthenic syndrome. As a rule, if it is possible to get rid of the underlying pathology, then the symptoms of asthenic syndrome either completely disappear or become less pronounced.
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