Malaise is an unpleasant feeling of weakness, causeless fatigue, loss of interest in the usual activities. The condition is often accompanied by mild muscle, joint and headaches, occasional dizziness, and sometimes fever. The symptom is characteristic of most diseases, the development of malaise may be associated with a violation of the daily routine and nutrition. To determine the causes of the disorder, a complex of laboratory tests, ultrasound and other imaging methods, and a neurological examination are performed. To eliminate the manifestations, combinations of non-drug methods and drugs of various pharmaceutical groups are used.
general characteristics
The condition is characterized by multiple non-specific complaints of severe weakness and drowsiness, fatigue, decreased performance. There are signs of physical malaise - discomfort in the muscles and joints, buzzing and fatigue in the legs. Drowsiness is so pronounced that the eyes "close themselves." Discomfort is often noted already in the morning: after waking up, instead of the usual cheerfulness and energy, a person feels a breakdown, heaviness in the head, unwillingness to get out of bed.
In addition to general weakness, in case of malaise, the neuropsychic status changes, uncontrolled irritability and nervousness appear. The condition usually does not improve after rest. With severe symptoms, patients practically do not get out of bed, for a long time they are in a state of dormancy. The malaise is accompanied by other symptoms: headaches, body aches, pallor of the skin. The unreasonable development of such signs often serves as the first signal of the disease, so it is important to seek medical help in time.
Causes of malaise
Causes of lethargy
Periodically, lack of energy, vigor and other signs of malaise occur in absolutely healthy people. They are caused by excessive emotional or physical stress, chronic lack of sleep. Normally, discomfort disappears after a period of rest. Allocate pathological causes of lethargy:
- Improper nutrition : lack of vitamins and proteins, abuse of fatty or heavy foods, drinking more than 3 cups of coffee a day.
- Thyroid disease : hypothyroidism, autoimmune thyroiditis, thyroid adenoma.
- Residual manifestations of neurological diseases : craniocerebral injuries, meningitis and encephalitis, neuroinfections.
- Convalescence period : after severe somatic diseases, acute bacterial and viral infections.
- Causes in women : pregnancy, premenstrual period, menopause.
- Allergic diseases : bronchial asthma, hay fever, atopic dermatitis.
- Autoimmune pathology : rheumatism, scleroderma, dermatomyositis, vasculitis.
- Vegetative-vascular dystonia .
- Psychogenic disorders : depressive states, hypothymic phase of bipolar disorder, neuroses.
- Kidney diseases : glomerulonephritis, the initial stage of chronic renal failure, atherosclerosis of the renal vessels.
Causes of Weakness
The condition is manifested by a breakdown, decreased ability to work and rapid exhaustion of the body during mental or physical work. In this case, there are no specific signs (pain, typical respiratory or dyspeptic phenomena), but the person feels sick. Common causes of general malaise and weakness are:
- Violations of the regime of work and rest : a small amount of sleep, work at night or seven days a week, chronic physical inactivity.
- Deficiency states : iron deficiency and B12 deficiency anemia, beriberi.
- Dehydration of the body: with insufficient fluid intake, generalized hyperhidrosis.
- Pathology of the circulatory system : hypotension, coronary heart disease, myocarditis and endocarditis.
- Liver diseases : chronic hepatitis, infiltrative processes (fatty degeneration, amyloidosis), cirrhosis.
- Neurological disorders: plexitis, neuritis, radiculitis and radiculopathy.
- Oncological diseases .
- Complications of pharmacotherapy : taking antihistamines, antihypertensives (beta-blockers), antipsychotics and tranquilizers.
- Rare causes : Guillain-Barré syndrome, myasthenia gravis, fibromyalgia.
Causes of weakness
A complex of non-specific manifestations in the form of a lack of energy, the inability to concentrate on the task being performed, feelings of fatigue in the legs and arms are observed in the prodromal period of many diseases. In healthy people, the disorder indicates a lack of sleep. Malaise and a painful feeling of weakness are caused by:
- External factors : jet lag, sudden weather changes, short daylight hours.
- Chronic stress .
- Intoxication of the body : the use of alcohol and drugs, exposure to vapors of toxic substances.
- Viral diseases : respiratory processes (flu, mononucleosis, rhinovirus infection), intestinal infections (rotavirus, enterovirus), herpes zoster.
- Bacterial diseases : tonsillitis and chronic tonsillitis, sinusitis, pneumonia.
- Worm infestations : echinococcosis, ascariasis, giardiasis, etc.
- Chronic infectious processes : tuberculosis, HIV infection.
- Inflammation of the genitourinary system : chronic pyelonephritis and glomerulonephritis, cystitis, urethritis.
- Endocrine pathologies : diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, adrenal insufficiency.
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome .
- Rare causes : hemorrhagic fevers, malaria.
Diagnostics
Since malaise and general weakness occur in diseases of various organs and systems, the primary examination of patients is carried out by a general practitioner, who, if indicated, gives a referral to highly specialized specialists. The diagnostic plan includes basic laboratory tests, basic instrumental techniques to identify the causes of discomfort. The most informative are:
- Blood tests . They are standard methods that signal a possible inflammatory process, anemia, a violation of the blood coagulation system. In older patients, the lipid profile is assessed. Be sure to do an analysis for fasting glucose, to determine the hormonal profile, measure the amount of thyroxine, corticosteroids, in women - estrogen and progesterone.
- bacteriological method . Symptoms of general malaise are characteristic of many infectious diseases detected by bacteriological culture of blood, sputum or other biological fluids on selective nutrient media. In bacterial infections, the microscopic method is effective. Serological tests are used to clarify the cause of the disease.
- Sonography . Ultrasound is used in diagnostics as a non-invasive screening method that does not require special training. Depending on the localization of complaints that accompany malaise and weakness, ultrasound of the abdominal organs and endocrine glands is performed. Women are sometimes prescribed a transvaginal ultrasound.
- Radiography . If there is a combination of malaise and symptoms from the respiratory system, a chest x-ray is performed to exclude chronic bronchitis, tuberculous foci, or mediastinal pathology. To diagnose damage to other systems, sensitive special methods are used: excretory urography to assess the condition of the kidneys, barium enema to study the anatomical features of the intestine.
- ENT examination . Recommended standard examination of the oral cavity and respiratory tract: rhinoscopy, pharyngoscopy, indirect laryngoscopy. The doctor takes swabs from the nose and throat for bacteriological analysis. To exclude the otogenic cause of malaise, weakness, lethargy, otoscopy is indicated. If necessary, do x-rays of the paranasal sinuses.
- Neurological examination . The study of tendon and skin reflexes, checking the coordination of movements, the preservation of cognitive functions make it possible to exclude the pathology of the central nervous system. The state of autonomic regulation is assessed using a test for dermographism, an orthostatic test, and the Danini-Ashner phenomenon. A number of patients require psychiatric evaluation.
If you feel unwell, you should consult a general practitioner
Treatment
Help before diagnosis
Weakness and other manifestations of malaise due to natural causes do not require specific treatment. Patients are advised to normalize their daily routine, sleep at least 7-8 hours a day, in the morning it is advisable to do a little workout. Eating habits are important: the diet should contain a sufficient amount of fresh vegetables and fruits, meat and fish dishes that provide the body with vitamins. If the symptoms are observed constantly or are accompanied by severe headaches, fever, a specialist consultation is necessary.
Conservative therapy
The selection of medications for the treatment of malaise is carried out by a doctor after identifying the cause of the development of a painful condition. Medical tactics depend on the age of the person, the detection of various risk factors, comorbidities. Most often, the following drugs are included in the therapeutic regimen:
- metabolic agents . They improve the trophism of body tissues, accelerate metabolic reactions, stimulate the processes of cellular respiration. They are used in the period of convalescence to eliminate malaise and other residual manifestations of the disease.
- NSAIDs . They are used for a large group of diseases: viral and bacterial infections, collagenosis, neuralgia. Means effectively relieve pain, eliminate local signs of the inflammatory process and normalize body temperature.
- Antibiotics . They are prescribed for the etiotropic treatment of ailments caused by purulent processes. The drugs are taken for at least 7 days. The selection of an antibiotic is carried out empirically, with massive infectious processes, 2-3 agents are combined.
- Hormones . Injectable insulins are indicated for type 1 diabetes mellitus, as well as for decompensated type 2 diabetes. Glucocorticoids are recommended for severe inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, vasculitis, chronic kidney damage.
- Hepatoprotectors . Malaise is a symptom of some liver diseases, which are treated with complexes of essential amino acids, herbal preparations. In case of violation of bile secretion, a course of choleretics, cholekinetics, antispasmodics is carried out.
Physiotherapy
Non-drug methods are used for local influence on the affected area. In chronic diseases of the respiratory system, electromagnetic and laser effects, electrophoresis with desensitizing drugs, and inhalations are indicated. In case of articular pathologies, compresses with corticosteroids, anti-inflammatory drugs and dimexide are effective. If weakness and malaise occur in the absence of organic pathology, methods of group and individual psychotherapy are used.