When asthenia is really dangerous

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

It is important not to confuse a loss of energy with a heart attack.

Everyone faces asthenia sooner or later. The best way to overcome this condition is to get a good night's sleep. Or spend a weekend in nature. Or give up on vacation for a couple of weeks.

But if, after resting, your strength has not increased, this is an alarming symptom. Perhaps we are talking about serious health problems. It is important not to miss them.

What is asthenia

Translated from ancient Greek, this is "powerlessness." Doctors describe What Is Asthenia? / Healthline asthenia as a lack of energy. A person instantly gets tired of even the simplest, it would seem, actions. For example, from going to the store.

Sometimes asthenia affects only a certain part of the body: it is difficult to move your legs or raise your arms. But more often the loss of strength envelops the whole person. And this loss of energy always has objective reasons.

Asthenia is not a disease. This is a symptom of malfunctioning of the body.

What are the causes of asthenia

Sometimes chronic fatigue is a consequence of lifestyle. So, a prolonged loss of energy can What causes asthenia? / Healthline be watched:

• with experienced mental or physical stress;
• severe stress;
• lack of sleep;
• malnutrition (deficiency of vitamins B and C, iron and some other trace elements reduces hemoglobin and leads to asthenia);
• dehydration;
• a sedentary lifestyle (inactivity worsens the work of the heart and, as a result, slows down blood flow; because of this, organs and tissues lack oxygen and nutrition, and the body as a whole lacks energy).

But asthenia can also be caused by some diseases, including dangerous ones. Lack of energy is an obligatory and often almost the first symptom:

• flu;
• anemias of various origins;
• developing diabetes;
• diseases of the thyroid gland;
• heart problems: chronic heart failure, unstable angina pectoris (the so-called pre-infarction state);
• circulatory disorders in the brain, threatening a stroke;
• digestive problems;
• overdose of medicines or vitamins;
• chronic poisoning (for example, heavy metal salts);
• diseases that affect the nervous or muscle tissue (multiple sclerosis, encephalopathy, myasthenia gravis);
• cancer.

When to call an ambulance

Do not hesitate if, against the background of weakness (habitual or sudden), the following symptoms appear:

• Severe sharp pain in the chest. Especially if she gives to the left shoulder or arm.
• Shortness of breath, difficulty breathing.
• The feeling that everything is floating in front of your eyes or your peripheral vision is suddenly lost.
• Speech problems - It becomes difficult to find words or speak in general.
• Numbness of any part of the body on one side.
• Dizziness, severe headache, confusion.

How to treat asthenia

If there are no urgent symptoms, appointments with doctors can be postponed. But not for long. After all, asthenia can be a sign of deadly conditions.

Be sure to take the time to consult with a therapist. The doctor will ask you questions about your lifestyle, look at your medical record, and offer you tests. How exactly to treat asthenia in your case depends on the results of the examination.

If the therapist concludes that fatigue is lifestyle related, he or she will recommend that you:

• sleep at least 8 hours a day;
• learn to relax to relieve stress;
• make sure that the diet contains all the necessary vitamins and minerals;
• observe the drinking regime (women need to consume about 2.7 liters of liquid per day, men - 3.7 liters);
• move more.

If the tests reveal that the cause of weakness is any disease, the therapist will refer you to a specialized specialist: endocrinologist, cardiologist, gastroenterologist, oncologist. When you cure the underlying ailment, asthenia will go away by itself.