What is a Weakness ?
Weakness is a feeling of tiredness or exhaustion or of experiencing a loss of strength. An evident or apparent disease does not always follow weakness. Due to overwork, stress, or lack of sleep, short-term weakness may occur. The medical term for weakness is asthenia. Weakness can occur throughout your body or in a specific area, such as your arms or legs. The weakness can localize to a single muscle, such as a calf muscle in the leg.Weakness can also occur due to physical illnesses or toxic disorders. Long-term (chronic) conditions, such as multiple sclerosis or an underactive thyroid, can cause weakness. Short-term (acute) conditions, such as a pinched nerve or urinary tract infection, can also cause weakness.
What Are The Types of Weakness?
Asthenia can affect the body and mind. Based on this, it can be divided into two categories:
- Physical Weakness : It refers to the inability of the muscles of the body to perform activities that require some physical effort, such as running, swimming, cycling, climbing stairs, jogging, and doing physical exercise. It’s because of extreme physical exertion over a considerable period of time, or because of the natural degeneration of muscles with age. Both conditions cause a feeling of physical exhaustion.
- Mental Weakness : It is defined as a substantial decrease in cognitive activities such as learning, judgment, or decision-making. It results from extreme stress on the cognitive centre of the brain that leads to a reduction in neural activities for a short time. Mental weakness can also occur due to age, a brain tumor, or experiencing emotional trauma in the past.
Three other types of weakness have also recently been identified. These are given below:
- Central : It is characterized by a reduction of the neural impulse or the motor activities based on the nerves.
- Neuromuscular : Here, the nerve does not stimulate a muscle.
- Peripheral muscle : The body cannot supply the additional energy required by the contracting muscles.
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Get A Second OpinionWhat are the Causes of Weakness?
Common causes of weakness include:
- Flu
- Thyroid disease
- Anemia
- Depression or anxiety
- Lack of sleep
- Mismanaged or undiagnosed diabetes
- Congestive heart failure
- Vitamin B-12 deficiency
- Side effects of medications, which often occur when taking mild tranquillizers to treat anxiety
- Certain muscle diseases
- Chemotherapy
Other causes of weakness include:
- Cancer
- Stroke
- Heart attack
- Nerve or muscle injuries
- Diseases that affect the nerves or muscles
- Drug overdose
- Vitamin overdose
- Poison
While weakness caused by cancer can appear slowly over a long time, weakness caused by a heart attack or stroke often occurs immediately. Besides experiencing weakness, other signs such as shortness of breath, pain, and an irregular heartbeat may appear.
How Weakness is Diagnosed?
There are many treatment options for weakness. Determining the root cause helps to assess the treatment option for your doctor. When you visit your doctor, they will go over your signs.
When you have signs, they will ask you. This will help your doctor understand more about what could cause you to feel weak. Your doctor might ask you to give a urine sample. They can also request a blood sample and send it to a laboratory for testing. The lab will test these samples for signs of infection and medical conditions that can cause weakness.
They can follow up with one or more diagnostic tests, including:
- Blood tests to check for hormonal imbalances or signs of infection
- Urinalysis for signs of infection and disease
- One or more of the following medical imaging tests to look for causes of bone, nerve, or muscle damage within the affected body part:
- X-rays
- Ultrasounds
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans
- Computed tomography (CT) scans
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Book an AppointmentWhat are the Treatment Options of Weakness?
There are many different physical and psychological variables that might contribute to weakness. The following are some typical reasons and how they are typically treated:
- Nutritional deficiencies : Lack of essential nutrients such as iron, vitamin B12, or vitamin D can lead to weakness.
- Treatment : A balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains can help address nutritional deficiencies. Supplements may be prescribed if the deficiency is severe.
- Dehydration : Inadequate fluid intake can cause dehydration, leading to weakness.
- Treatment : Increase fluid intake, especially water. Oral rehydration solutions or electrolyte drinks can also help replenish lost fluids and electrolytes.
- Physical overexertion : Excessive physical activity without proper rest can lead to muscle fatigue and weakness.
- Treatment : Rest and adequate sleep are essential for muscle recovery. Gradually easing back into physical activity can prevent further strain.
- Anemia : A deficiency of red blood cells or hemoglobin in the blood can lead to weakness and fatigue.
- Treatment : Iron supplements, dietary changes to include iron-rich foods (such as red meat, leafy greens, and fortified grains), and treating the underlying cause of the anemia if present.
- Neurological disorders : Conditions affecting the nervous system, such as multiple sclerosis or Parkinson's disease, can cause weakness and fatigue.
- Treatment : management of the underlying neurological condition through medication, physical therapy, and lifestyle modifications prescribed by a healthcare provider.
When to visit a Doctor?
Some types of Asthenia are spread on their own. However, people who experience frequent episodes of Asthenia should see a doctor. They may have an underlying medical disorder that needs treatment.
A person should seek emergency medical attention for signs of Asthenia that occur along with signs of a heart attack or stroke. If you experience a sudden onset of weakness on one side of the body or face, weakness with shortness of breath or palpitations, weakness with loss of consciousness, severe chest pain, back pain, or abdominal pain. Suppose you have discomfort along with other signs, such as abdominal pain or cramps, fever and chills, foul-smelling urine, or feeling ill.
What are the Preventions of Weakness?
It is not always possible to prevent asthenia. However, leading a healthy lifestyle can reduce the risk of chronic diseases that can cause asthenia. Some steps a person can take to reduce their risk of developing asthenia include:
- Quit Smoking
- avoid excessive alcohol consumption
- eat healthily
- exercise regularly
- lose weight if necessary
- take steps to reduce stress levels
- get enough sleep
