General weakness

What person does not know the feeling of weakness in the body, when there is no strength to just get out of bed, not to mention more energy-intensive activities? Feeling of general weakness is a subjective factor of well-being, when there is a lack of strength for any physical activity and daily activities, the implementation of which in the normal state does not cause any problems. At the same time, fatigue and weakness feel similar to each other – there is a feeling of exhaustion, you want to quickly take a horizontal position and not move. The difference is that the cause of ordinary fatigue is obvious, for example, physical training, lack of sleep, or a very active day. With regard to general weakness, a person feels a lack of strength for other reasons, which he himself cannot always determine if they are not obvious.

Why does general weakness occur?

What are the reasons for the emerging weakness? All causes can be divided into two large groups – known and unknown. So, for example, if a child or an adult has the flu, he has a high temperature, it is natural that he will feel exhausted even without any physical exertion, and the reason for feeling unwell is obvious. Another thing is when a person feels general weakness for a long time without any clear accompanying symptoms, and does not know that this condition can be a manifestation, for example, of anemia or pathologies of the endocrine system.

The fact is that in itself, fatigue and a general state of weakness can be a symptom of a large number of diseases due to many reasons. Among them, for example, there is beriberi – a lack of vitamins, one or more. Often causeless weakness is a consequence of a lack of B vitamins in the body, especially vitamin B12, which is responsible for the production of red blood cells and prevents the development of anemia. It is because of its lack that a person can develop anemia (anemia) and provoke a state of weakness and weakness. Vitamin D deficiency, produced by the body under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, is especially noticeable in winter and autumn. The feeling of chronic fatigue and weakness during these seasons can be triggered by a lack of the “sunshine” vitamin.

Depression is a serious psychiatric disorder, and not a banal bad mood, as a fairly large number of people mistakenly think. It is manifested by a constant feeling of depression, physical and mental retardation, disturbance and disorders of thinking.

Thyroid diseases and related hormonal disorders lead to the formation of a feeling of weakness, for example, with hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism. Reduced organ function (hypothyroidism) provokes weakness in the limbs, when everything literally “falls out of hand”, according to patients. Hyperthyroidism, in addition to the described feeling, is accompanied by nervous excitability, hand tremors, fever, and heart rhythm disturbances.

Celiac disease is not a very common pathology, which consists in the inability to absorb gluten. If the subject is unaware of the problem, and continues to consume flour products and various flour products, in addition to flatulence and diarrhea with loose stools, he will experience constant fatigue.

Some other reasons for constantly feeling weak:

• taking certain medications (antihistamines, beta-blockers, antidepressants);
• vegetative-vascular dystonia;
• diabetes;
• oncological diseases;
• chronic fatigue syndrome;
• dehydration;
• anemia and other blood diseases;
• cardiovascular diseases;
• acute and chronic infectious processes, SARS and colds;
• state of intoxication.

In addition, a state of malaise can develop during menstruation in women, with injuries to the trunk and skull, after general anesthesia and operations.

Clinical classification of ailment

Depending on the mechanism of development and manifestation of the condition, it is classified into the following types:

• generalized weakness that slowly develops and progresses;
• acute and rapidly progressing condition;
• recurrent and intermittent general weakness.

The nature of the formation and development of malaise is a factor that plays an important role in determining the causes of malaise. So, for example, the first type of state can be characteristic of:

• sarcoidosis;
• myopathy;
• connective tissue diseases;
• intoxication;
• oncological processes;
• metabolic disorders;
• endocrinopathy;
• psychogenic weakness;
• general somatic diseases with and without damage to the neuromuscular apparatus.

An acute condition with a sharp progression can be formed with myopathy, lesions of the nervous system with poliomyelitis, as well as with psychogenic weakness.

The latter type of pathological condition occurs in diseases of the central nervous system and neuromuscular lesions (with myasthenia gravis, periodic paralysis).

Symptoms that form and accompany a feeling of general weakness

As mentioned above, the state of malaise is, first of all, the subjective feeling of a person, his complaints about well-being. The manifestation of weakness can have several variants of symptoms, which consists of several pathological conditions.

For example, weakness may be accompanied by:

• distraction of attention;
• pain in the head, pain in the joints and muscles;
• impaired concentration and memory;
• decreased performance and productivity;
• speech difficulties;
• feeling overtired;
• deterioration and decrease in mental activity.

In addition, the state of weakness can be accompanied by:

• fever and euphoria;
• swollen lymph nodes;
• pain in the back and lower back;
• eye fatigue, hoarseness of voice;
• sleep disturbances and weight fluctuations;
• decreased appetite;
• heavy sweating;
• dry mouth;
• nausea, dizziness, vomiting;
• temperature rise to subfebrile or high values.

At the same time, a person prefers to be in a stationary state, he has a sharp or gradual decrease in activity, depressed mood, palpitations, pallor of the skin, sensitivity to noise and light.

Weakness in infectious diseases

Most infectious and viral diseases occur against the background of gradually increasing malaise and a general deterioration in well-being, especially while the virus or infection is in the process of reproduction. Weakness in such cases is combined with fever, headache, intestinal disorders and indigestion, sleep disturbance, vomiting, dry cough, nasal congestion. Possible skin rashes, sore throat, drowsiness, swollen lymph nodes. The condition is directly related to the intoxication that has arisen in the body. The course of an infectious disease is possible without temperature, especially in patients with weak immunity. A person has a headache and a sore throat, he sleeps a lot and practically does not eat. Such symptoms are characteristic of the acute course of infectious diseases. Weakness may not be accompanied by other pathological manifestations – in this case, we can talk about an asymptomatic course.

It is interesting that during the day the patient’s condition is not the same: if in the morning after waking up he feels relatively cheerful, then in the afternoon, in the evening, the temperature rises and all symptoms of malaise intensify.

Signs of oncological processes

Permanent weakness in cancer patients may be part of the general symptoms of the underlying disease. Weakness is due to intoxication of the body, because a growing tumor releases toxic products of its vital activity into the surrounding tissues and blood vessels. Moreover, malaise is manifested by other signs. The early stages of tumor development are usually asymptomatic, and with the progression of the process, painful sensations may develop due to the pressure of the neoplasm on the surrounding tissues, nerve endings, and vital centers, depending on the location of the tumor. In addition, the sick person loses his appetite, and his weight begins to decrease. Worst of all, when the appetite is in order, and the person eats normally, but the weight is still melting before our eyes – this means that the metabolic processes are disturbed. One of the early signs of oncology may be an unreasonable increase in body temperature. In fact, the reason lies in the suppression of the immune system by the tumor, which reacts in this way in response. The patient may feel at the same time increased sweating, he is often thrown into a cold sweat.

Weakness in diabetes

The main reasons why weakness can form in a patient diagnosed with diabetes mellitus:

• overdose of insulin-containing drugs in type XNUMX diabetes;
• developing pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, nervous system, kidney damage;
• diseases of the cardiovascular system;
• inadequate dosage of hypoglycemic drugs in type XNUMX diabetes;
• the formation of one of the types of lumps (hyperosmolar, ketoacidotic, hypoglycemic, lactacidic);
• the use of alcoholic beverages;
• intense physical activity.

It is known that in the body of a patient with diabetes, some processes are disturbed. Due to the malfunction of the pancreas, there is an insufficient production of insulin. Its lack and the development of cell receptor resistance to it leads to the fact that glucose does not enter the tissues of the body in the right concentration. Glucose, in turn, is a source of energy for life support. In addition, an increase in the concentration of glucose in the blood leads to its thickening, and the internal organs no longer receive the right amount of nutrients, because blood flows to them worse. The result of such a violation is a feeling of weakness that haunts a diabetic.

Diseases of the spine, in which a breakdown can form

Can a feeling of weakness from the spine, in which pathology is formed, bother a person? Osteochondrosis is one of the most common spinal diseases that develops in men and women in adulthood or old age. It is associated with destructive processes in the vertebrae and intervertebral discs, resulting in the destruction of the cartilage and connective tissue of the spine. The location of the vertebrae changes, the distance between them decreases, a person experiences clamps of nerve endings, which are accompanied by pain in the back of the head, lower back, chest, and sometimes in the limbs. In addition, weakness is felt – most often in the lower extremities, but it can also cover the entire body. A person may go numb and take away his legs and arms, or, conversely, there is pain, burning and tingling in the muscles. General weakness in osteochondrosis of the spine may indicate that degenerative processes cover several departments.

What to do if you constantly feel a breakdown that is not associated with the wrong regimen and lack of sleep? If the performance of the usual and uncomplicated daily activities causes severe fatigue, and there are no objective reasons for this, you should consult a doctor.

The fact is that the state of weakness, if it is constantly present and does not depend on physical exertion, can be a sign of various diseases, from pathologies in the endocrine system to a lack of vitamins. What exactly caused the unpleasant and lethargic condition, only the doctor can determine.

Who to contact if there is a constant weakness? First of all, you need to visit a therapist. This general specialist will examine and interview the patient, appoint him to take general blood and urine tests, ultrasound of the thyroid gland, fluorography, and possibly refer him to a narrower specialist, for example, an oncologist, endocrinologist, immunologist.

It should be noted that weakness itself as a symptom has no diagnostic value, and in order to determine the exact cause of its occurrence, you will probably have to pass a number of tests and undergo various examinations – their results will allow you to make an adequate diagnosis and prescribe treatment.

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