Cachexia often develops in people with cancer or anemia but can also occur after chronic wasting diseases and diseases that affect the functioning of the adrenal glands.
Types of weakness
The three types of asthenia are:
- Overview
- Mental
- Material
General asthenia is characterized by a feeling of weakness or lack of strength, while physical and mental asthenia are named for their effects on the body and mind.
What are the symptoms of asthenia?
Symptoms of asthenia will vary depending on how your body is affected. If only one area is affected, you may develop symptoms such as:
- Move slower than normal
- Vibrate or shake
- Muscle spasms or cramps
In generalized asthenia, you will feel weak all over. This leads to symptoms such as:
- Fever
- Flu-like symptoms
- Body aches
General fatigue can also make you feel tired, but not always. Mental fatigue and headaches can also occur with fatigue.
Symptoms that require emergency medical attention
Although rare, weakness can be a sign of a heart attack or stroke. Emergency medical symptoms to watch for include:
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Difficulty speaking
- Changes in vision
- Chest pain or difficulty breathing
- Confusion
- Severe headache
- Paralysis on one side of the body
What causes asthenia?
Causes of fatigue can be divided into two categories: Underlying health disorders and medication side effects.
Some health disorders that can lead to weakness are:
- Nutrient deficiency
- Sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea
- Fatigue syndromes such as chronic fatigue
- Anemia and other blood diseases
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Muscular dystrophy and other musculoskeletal disorders
- Multiple sclerosis (autoimmune disease affecting the central nervous system)
- Parkinson's disease (a neurodegenerative movement disorder)
- Diabetes
- Hypothyroidism
- Depression or anxiety
- Cancer
- Lung disease
- Chronic pain syndrome
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis
Several medications have been shown to cause weakness and fatigue in some people, including:
- Antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs
- High blood pressure medication
- Chemotherapy drugs
- Medicines used to control high blood cholesterol.
