The adynamia It is a medical term to refer to when the body does not have strength or has lost strength, either in general or in some of its parts. A person with a case of asthenia may be unable to move a certain part of their body properly.
In many cases, adynamia can be a symptom in itself that may indicate a more serious illness. The way in which adynamia occurs in each person may be different, making it difficult to diagnose the problem causing it..
It is probably the most difficult clinical symptom for the doctor to attack, since it involves many possibilities, and is sometimes even difficult to detect during questioning.
Article index
A person with adynamia may experience loss of strength in the form of fatigue, malaise, muscle weakness or altered sleep patterns and hyperesthesia..
These symptoms can make it difficult for the affected person to perform tasks that require physical effort. In asthenia, the types of weaknesses can be classified as true weakness or perceived weakness.
True or neuromuscular weaknesses are a loss of real strength and muscle capabilities, the result of a muscle injury or defect.
On the other hand, perceived weakness is a non-neuromuscular response, which results when the person has the perception of weakness when performing a task, despite the fact that the physiology of the muscle is normal..
In this case, it is more difficult to locate the cause, since it is generally due to systemic diseases that affect the basal metabolism..
These diseases range from endocrine disorders like hypothyroidism, autoimmune diseases like lupus, and even cancer and chronic infections. Adynamia can affect anyone; weakness is usually temporary but can become chronic or continuous.
The symptoms of adynamia or asthenia usually vary depending on whether the condition is in a part of the body or in its entirety, but some form of weakness is always present.
If the weakness occurs in only one part of the body, the most common would be the difficulty of movement in the part that is affected, as well as retardation of movement in it..
However, the person may also experience tremors or muscle spasms and cramps in certain cases..
For people with the condition all over the body, the most common symptom is fatigue, an exhaustion similar to when you have the flu. They may also experience fever, lack of energy, physical discomfort, loss of balance due to weakness, or lack or loss of muscle strength..
Sometimes the symptoms of adynamia can be accompanied by dizziness, lightheadedness, confusion, slurred speech, vision changes, or chest pain. These can be indicative of a much more serious problem that can put the person's health at risk..
Asthenia can have many possible causes: physiological, psychogenic, derived from diseases or by reaction to drugs or medications.
Among the psychogenic causes we can find depression or anxiety; these are considered one of the main reasons for fatigue, and often go unnoticed as it is not diagnosed.
Among the physiological causes is aging. It is common that as the years go by, adynamia becomes present in people's lives.
As we age, the ability of our cells and tissues to maintain homeostasis becomes difficult. Also, if we add the wear and tear on the joints, which is imminent at some point in an individual's life, an elderly patient with asthenia represents a real challenge for any doctor..
Pregnancy is also a physiological factor in which the condition commonly occurs; usually occurs from the third trimester.
The loss of energy is due to the decrease in sex hormones towards the end of pregnancy. With the continuous growth of the fetus, the metabolic compensation of the organism is lost, as an intrinsic mechanism that indicates that the end of pregnancy is approaching.
Increasingly, sedentary lifestyle becomes the most common cause of adynamia. The World Health Organization estimates that between 60% and 85% of people around the world do not practice the necessary amount of physical activity, weakening the muscles due to lack of exercise.
Infections or diseases are also causes of the condition, particularly chronic ones. The human body possesses an immune system that, when activated to fight virulent microorganisms, is forced to recruit large numbers of cells and changes in the affected tissues to cope with the threat..
Therefore, you have to divert a lot of energy towards accomplishing this task. In the case of chronic diseases, something similar happens with asthenia and adynamia as in the case of cancer, which becomes so long that the body ends up metabolizing all the available fat and gives rise to a clinical sign known as cachexia..
Adynamia can be a side effect of some medications. Lack of vitamins can also reduce energy levels.
To achieve effective treatment it is necessary to know the cause of adynamia. When the underlying cause is a chronic or terminal illness, medications that increase the appetite and the individual's weight gain (if applicable) may be indicated, and in this way their functions are fully or partially recovered..
When the cause is psychogenic, a psychologist should be consulted and he may prescribe antidepressants. If the cause is due to an infection, antibiotics will be recommended that can combat the origin, and thus restore energy levels.
Many times the easiest way to treat this condition is a good diet rich in vitamins and regular exercise that can counteract a sedentary life, as well as the effects of age..
Yet No Comments