Asthenia is a symptom of the underlying disease, but there is also a syndrome. There are several types depending on your cause, but in almost all cases the symptoms can be resolved if proper treatment is given.
A person who has asthenia may experience the following symptoms:
- lack of energy;
- fatigue;
- physical exhaustion;
- mental exhaustion;
- muscle weakness;
- impaired concentration;
- decreased vitality;
- sleep disorders.
Main causes of asthenia
The main causes of asthenia may be excessive care for loved ones, excessive attention to children and problems related, including work. According to statistics, people suffering from asthenia talk about physical and mental fatigue, and women are most susceptible to it.
Causes of asthenia
If you feel these symptoms, it is very likely that you have asthenia.
But what causes this tired feeling in your body? There are many possible causes that can be classified as functional or organic. Asthenia of organic origin.
This is a feeling of fatigue caused by other underlying diseases. In general, it appears at the end of the day and does not change for some time, there is always fatigue there.
Possible reasons may include:
- infections;
- anemia (decreased hemoglobin concentration in the blood);
- hypothyroidism (poor functioning of the thyroid gland);
- medications (benzodiazepines, antiallergic drugs, medications to lower blood pressure);
- pregnancy;
- neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis;
- cardiovascular diseases;
- cancer;
- apnea syndrome;
- lupus;
- Addison's disease.
Asthenia of functional origin.
This may be due to excessive work, intense intellectual activity, insufficient rest, few hours of sleep, unhealthy habits (smoking, alcoholism, use of stimulants, etc.), studying for exams, competitive sports or any situation that causes intense and constant stress. In these cases, the recommended treatment in general is reducing work and increasing rest hours, eliminating harmful stimuli, defragmenting situations, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
In general, asthenia of functional origin appears in the early hours of the day and changes over time. This means that maybe after a few days you will feel good, and then on other days you will feel exhausted again, and so the cycle repeats. On the other hand, in some cases, asthenia of functional origin appears before the seasonal climate. In these cases, this is not relevant, since the fatigue is moderate and lasts a short time.
Other causes of asthenia.
Asthenia can also occur due to mental illnesses such as depression. If this is your case, then treatment with antidepressants or other psychotropic drugs may help eliminate asthenia.
Psychological therapy is also a good option for combating fatigue.
Therapy
Some types of viral asthenic syndrome present a complex medical problem and require professional medical care. However, there are things you can do yourself.
Be your child's advocate
Take an active part in your child's life and reward him for any success.
Talk to your doctor about problems if they persist.
Talk to your teachers about the illness and the problems you are facing at school.
Develop a plan of action with your teacher that will help your child succeed.
Inform other people involved in your child's life. When people know more about the disease, they can better help and accommodate your child. This is especially important at school.
How is asthenia diagnosed?
Your doctor will definitely ask you a lot of questions about your symptoms. To rule out an organic cause, you will need to do some blood and urine tests. If there are no organic reasons, then, of course, this is functional asthenia. The doctor will try to find out, based on the data you give him, what is the cause of your fatigue, and guide the treatment correctly.
Spring asthenia.
This is a special case of asthenia, which usually appears towards the end of winter or the beginning of spring. Symptoms are usually mild and short-lived, but it should be noted that this is not a psychiatric disorder. It's simply a feeling of tiredness that can be attributed to changes in hormones and neurotransmitters.
When a seasonal change occurs, temperatures and hours of sunlight increase. This causes changes in the functioning of the hypothalamus, the nerve center in the brain responsible for controlling sleep, wakefulness, appetite, thirst and body temperature. Changes in the functioning of the hypothalamus will be responsible for spring asthenia.
Why doesn't this affect all people?
Well, it may simply be due to a factor unique to each individual, a factor that has not yet been identified. Some people may be more sensitive or more likely to notice these climate changes.
This can be a situation similar to allergies: in the spring, many people suffer from asthma or rhinitis due to pollen in the air, while others have no effect on them. How to avoid spring asthenia.
Living a healthy lifestyle and eating a balanced diet are factors that can help you feel better and keep your body and mind energized.
Here are some basic tips to prevent spring asthenia:
- Be sure to include three daily servings of fresh vegetables and two servings of fruit in your diet.
- It is also important to eat moderate amounts of carbohydrates (pasta, rice, legumes, potatoes) and meat. Drink at least two liters of water daily. Have a good rest.
- Most people need seven or eight hours of sleep every day to function properly in their daily activities.
- Leave bad habits. Do not smoke, drink coffee, alcohol or other stimulant drinks late in the day.
- Do moderate exercise. Walking 20 or 30 minutes daily will make you feel more energetic.
- Go to bed and get up at the same time and don't skip meals.
- In some cases, taking vitamins and minerals may be necessary to combat asthenia, but this should always be prescribed by a doctor. However, keep in mind that excess vitamin intake can have very negative consequences.
What to do if asthenia occurs?
First of all, it is necessary to exclude all external stimuli. In most cases, this is the most effective method of eliminating asthenic manifestations
.
If asthenia is a manifestation of a pathological process in the body, then additional consultation with a doctor will be required to detect abnormalities in the body, conduct diagnostics, obtain reliable data on the state of health and prescribe the necessary treatment.
asthenic syndrome signs
Chronic asthenia syndrome.
Chronic asthenia can be defined as a feeling of fatigue that is constant, has an evolution of more than six months and leads to a significant decrease in efficiency of up to 50%. In such cases, consultation with a doctor is necessary.
Although in many cases an organic or psychological cause for chronic asthenia can be found, in a large percentage of patients a specific cause cannot be determined.
The most common symptoms of chronic asthenia are:
- Feeling very tired.
- Headache.
- Sleep disorders.
- Muscle pain.
- In some cases, fever. They look like flu symptoms, only they are long-lasting and are not relieved by bed rest.
When a cause cannot be determined, doctors believe that symptoms may be caused by changes in the immune system or muscle cell function, but these are actually theories that have not yet been proven.
Most cases of chronic asthenia appear in previously healthy people between the ages of 20 and 50, and more often affect women than men.
What does it mean that chronic asthenia has an irregular evolution?
In about half of patients, symptoms disappear after several months of treatment, while others suffer relapses. In these cases, symptoms come and go, worsening when you experience physical or psychological stress.
Sometimes the feeling of fatigue and weakness is so great that it interferes with daily activities, and this can cause anxiety and depression.
Imagine that for several months you feel extremely tired, your muscles and headaches hurt, and after a long period of rest the symptoms reappear. Anyone will feel depressed in this situation.
Symptoms of asthenia in women and men
Regardless of gender, the pathology manifests itself in approximately the same way. The main features are:
- fatigue, increased fatigue;
- poor concentration, memory, attention;
- mood swings, irritability;
- increased level of anxiety;
- high sensitivity to intense light, sharp sounds;
- sleep disorders – a person has difficulty falling asleep, wakes up early;
- headaches, dizziness;
- deterioration in health as a result of weather changes;
- sweating;
- dyspnea;
- increased heart rate;
- pain in different parts of the body.
Attention!
If proper rest does not bring significant relief, and the described symptoms persist for a long time, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible.
Differential diagnosis.
Some diseases can cause chronic asthenia and need to be ruled out before a definitive diagnosis can be made.
Diseases such as hypothyroidism, diabetes, anemia and some mental disorders are some examples of diseases that need to be investigated in a patient when he has chronic asthenia.
People with fibromyalgia, for example, like those with chronic asthenia, may experience muscle pain, extreme fatigue and sleep disturbances. On the other hand, fatigue and muscle pain often appear early in various inherited muscle disorders, as well as in various metabolic, autoimmune and endocrine conditions.
Symptoms and manifestation of asthenic syndrome
Since asthenia can be caused by a number of reasons, it is expressed in completely different ways. However, the main signs of asthenic fatigue syndrome can be considered in more detail:
- The weakening of self-control becomes very pronounced. Characterized by frequent mood swings, transition to aggressive behavior, breakdowns, and excessively emotional behavior. It becomes difficult for a person to maintain self-control;
- A characteristic symptom is severe fatigue. In this case, loss of strength occurs even from short efforts. With asthenia, it is impossible to perform current work, maintain attentiveness and concentrate for a long time. Therefore, effective work with chronic fatigue syndrome is completely impossible;
- The patient's condition is characterized by restlessness and impatience. They cannot expect anything even for a short time; it is very difficult for them to maintain attention on one subject;
- The condition is characterized by significant sleep disturbances, which seriously impair the health of patients. Insomnia can last for several weeks or more, which weakens the patient and aggravates other symptomatic manifestations of asthenic syndrome;
- Among the striking manifestations of asthenia include sharp reactions to loud sounds, bright light, odors and similar irritants.
Thus, the key sign of asthenia is emotional lability, low mood, tearfulness, sleep and memory disorders, which can be corrected and treated with psychoanalytic therapy.
Diet therapy for astheno-neurotic syndrome
Diet for asthenia. Diet therapy or therapeutic nutrition is a method of assistance in which the quantity and quality of nutrition influence the mechanisms of development of a disease state. The diet for asthenic disorders depends on the general condition and the presence of concomitant diseases. The main features of diet therapy for asthenia: increased content of vitamin and protein-containing foods in the diet. Sometimes, a type of diet therapy such as fasting can be used as part of a treatment complex.
With asthenia, diet therapy cannot be the main method of treating asthenia, only an auxiliary one.
Therapeutic exercise for astheno-neurotic syndrome
Physical exercises in the treatment of asthenia often have a very significant weight. Despite the apparent weakness of patients in an asthenic state, it has been noted that some types of physical activity have a high therapeutic effect on the severity of symptoms. The most common types of physical therapy for the treatment of asthenia are athletics and water sports.
Although physical therapy is indicated for all types of asthenia, unfortunately, in practice doctors rarely prescribe it.
Occupational therapy for asthenic disorders
Restoring the nervous system through work is a common method of treating many mental and behavioral disorders. For asthenic conditions, work with a predominance of moderate and regular physical activity over intellectual activity is recommended.
Occupational therapy is an optional method of treating asthenia, and in some cases it may have contraindications.
Psychotherapeutic treatment of asthenia
Psychotherapy of astheno-neurotic syndrome. Psychotherapeutic effects for asthenia of various origins involve the use of “relaxing” techniques (trances, autogenic training, breathing exercises, body-image therapy, hypnosis); some types of physiotherapy and exercise therapy are very effective. If mental trauma played a role in the development of the asthenic state, then cognitive behavioral psychotherapy is used. Psychotherapeutic sessions are conducted individually or in groups. Rational psychotherapy begins from the first minutes of communication between the doctor and the patient; it consists in the fact that the sick person develops a correct idea of his condition, its origin and outcome.
Psychotherapy is a mandatory restorative technique for all forms of asthenic conditions.
Physiotherapy
Physiotherapeutic assistance aims to normalize the ratio of excitation and inhibition processes in the central nervous system. “Electrosleep” is one of the most common physiotherapeutic methods in our country, the principle of its action is that due to an electromagnetic field of a certain characteristic, an increase in inhibition processes in the midline structures of the brain is achieved. Among the water types of physiotherapy for asthenia, you can take a cold shower in the morning.
Physiotherapy is not a mandatory method of treating asthenoneurotic syndrome. There are many contraindications and restrictions for physiotherapy in such conditions. Therefore, only after consulting a doctor is it possible to include this method in the general treatment complex.
Asthenia scale
The asthenic state scale was developed by L.D. Maykova, adapted by T.G. Chertovaya on the basis of clinical and psychological observations and the well-known MMPI questionnaire (Minnesota Multidimensional Personality Inventory).
The scale consists of 30 items of statements reflecting the characteristics of asthenic syndrome. The study is carried out individually in a separate, well-lit room, isolated from extraneous sounds.
Instructions for the test: Read each sentence carefully and evaluate it in relation to your current state.
Points for each answer are awarded according to the following scheme:
- No, not true – 1;
- Perhaps so – 2;
- True – 3;
- Absolutely right - 4.
Test material:
- I work under a lot of pressure;
- I find it difficult to concentrate on anything;
- My sex life does not satisfy me;
- The waiting makes me nervous;
- I am experiencing muscle weakness;
- I don't feel like going to the cinema or theater;
- I'm forgetful;
- I feel tired;
- My eyes get tired when reading for a long time;
- My hands are shaking;
- I have poor appetite;
- It is difficult for me to be at a party or in a noisy company;
- I don't understand what I read so well anymore;
- My hands and feet are cold;
- I am easily offended;
- I have a headache;
- I wake up in the morning tired, not rested;
- I get dizzy;
- I have muscle twitching;
- I have a buzzing in my ears;
- I am worried about sexual issues;
- I feel heaviness in my head;
- I experience general weakness;
- I experience pain in the crown of my head;
- Life for me is about tension;
- My head seems to be tied together with a hoop;
- I wake up easily from noise;
- People bore me;
- When I worry, I break out in sweat;
- Restless thoughts keep me awake.
The possible number of points ranges from: 30 -120
The test results can be interpreted as follows:
- From 30 to 50 points – “absence of asthenia”;
- From 51 to 75 points – “weak asthenia”;
- From 76 to 100 points – “moderate asthenia”;
- From 101 to 120 points – “severe asthenia”
