Severity : Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment

Last Updated: 25/09/2022

Heaviness in various parts of the body is subjectively perceived as a feeling of pressure, fullness (in the head, chest, abdomen, hypochondrium) or a large weight that makes it difficult to perform habitual movements (in the legs, arms, throughout the body). A feeling of heaviness may be accompanied by neurological syndromes, cardiovascular diseases, pathologies of the digestive tract, diseases of the musculoskeletal system, etc. The examination includes functional (ECG, EEG), imaging (ultrasound, X-ray, MRI), endoscopic (EGDS) and other methods. Therapy is aimed at eliminating the causative pathology.

Why there is a feeling of heaviness

Causes of heaviness in the head

Heaviness in the head, as a rule, is accompanied by headache and dizziness, an increase in blood pressure, and impaired coordination are possible. The symptom occurs in various pathological and physiological conditions:

  • overwork, overheating, dehydration;
  • arterial hypertension, hypertensive crisis;
  • migraine;
  • diseases of ENT organs;
  • SHOP pathology;
  • withdrawal syndromes and intoxications.

Causes of heaviness in the chest

Complaints of heaviness and a feeling of tightness in the chest may indicate the development of heart, lung diseases, systemic disorders (allergic reactions, poisoning). Along with heaviness in the chest, shortness of breath, cough, and cyanosis often occur. Possible reasons:

  • pneumonia and bronchitis of various etiologies;
  • exudative pleurisy;
  • bronchial asthma;
  • tumors of the chest cavity;
  • occupational lung diseases: foundry fever, aluminosis;
  • pulmonary embolism;
  • angina pectoris, pericarditis, heart failure;
  • anaphylactic shock.

Causes of heaviness in the abdomen

Heaviness in the abdomen and hypochondria is characteristic of nutritional errors, pathologies of the digestive system. Often it is combined with a change in appetite, heartburn, nausea, and impaired stool. The most common reasons:

  • stomach diseases: gastritis, stomach cancer;
  • diseases of the liver and biliary tract: cholecystitis, hepatomegaly, inflection of the gallbladder;
  • intestinal diseases: colitis, constipation, intestinal pneumatosis;
  • visceroptosis;
  • diseases of the main vessels: atherosclerosis or aneurysm of the abdominal aorta;
  • gynecological pathology: the threat of miscarriage, ovarian cysts.

Causes of heaviness in the body or limbs

Heaviness in the whole body, arms or legs is accompanied by a feeling of general weakness, loss of strength, weakness. Such a condition can be physiological (after a large, debilitating physical activity), a person needs a good rest to restore tone. As a pathological symptom, heaviness throughout the body occurs in the following cases:

  • borderline mental disorders: chronic stress, neurosis, depression;
  • infections accompanied by fever;
  • cardiovascular problems: hypotension, cardioneurosis;
  • nervous diseases: myasthenia gravis, muscular dystrophy;
  • endocrinopathies: hypothyroidism, diabetes mellitus;
  • other pathologies: anemia, exhaustion, intoxication.

Heaviness in the limbs may be accompanied by paresthesia, peripheral edema, and trophic disorders. The symptom is typical for the following conditions:

  • varicose veins and CVI;
  • post-thrombophlebitic disease;
  • lymphedema;
  • flat feet;
  • diseases of the spine: osteochondrosis, spondylolisthesis;
  • professional neuroses.