What Is Body Weakness?

Weakness is the feeling of body fatigue (tiredness). A person experiencing weakness may not be able to move that part of their body properly or they may experience tremors (uncontrollable movement or twitches) in the area of weakness.

Some people experience weakness in a certain area of their bodies, such as the arms or legs. Others may experience full body weakness, which is often the result of a bacterial or viral infection such as influenza or hepatitis. Weakness may be temporary, but in some cases it is chronic or continuous.

What Is the Cause of Weakness?

Common causes of weakness include:

Other, more severe causes of weakness include:

Although weakness caused by cancer may appear slowly over an extended amount of time, weakness caused by a heart attack or stroke is often immediate.

In addition to experiencing weakness, other symptoms such as difficulty breathing, pain, and irregular heartbeat may be present. Call 911 if you experience sudden weakness. DO NOT attempt to drive yourself to the hospital.

Signs of Weakness

Isolated Weakness

If you experience weakness in one area of your body, you may find that you are unable to move that part of your body efficiently. You may also experience:

Full Body Weakness

Full body weakness causes you to feel run down, similar to the feeling you get when you have the flu. This is often called fatigue, but it is also possible to experience full body weakness without feeling tired.

Some people who experience full body weakness also experience fever, flulike symptoms, or pain in the affected area.

Dangerous Symptoms

You should contact your doctor if you experience any of the following symptoms:

Diagnosing the Cause of Weakness

Weakness can be treated in many different ways. Determining the underlying cause provides the best method of treatment. When you visit your doctor, he or she will go over your symptoms and the time you began experiencing them. This will give your doctor an idea as to what is causing you to feel weak.

Your doctor may request that you give a urine sample and he or she may also take a blood sample from you. These samples are tested for infections and signs of possible medical conditions that may cause weakness. If you’re experiencing pain, your doctor may also order an imaging test to have a look at the area affected. Imaging tests include X-rays, MRIs, CT scans, and ultrasounds.

If your doctor suspects you are having (or have had) a heart attack or stroke, he or she will order a brain scan and EKG test.

How Is Weakness Treated?

Once the cause of weakness is diagnosed, treatment options will be discussed. If weakness is caused by a cold or flu, treatment may not be necessary.

Dehydration

If you are dehydrated, increasing your fluid intake can help. However, if you’re showing severe symptoms of dehydration, you may require hospital treatment will be given fluids through an intravenous line. Medication may also be given to increase your blood pressure. At this point, the weakness may begin to subside.

Cancer Treatment

Treatment options for cancer will be determined by your doctor. The stage, location, and body structure involved all help to determine a good course of treatment. Treatment options for cancer include:

Note: Certain cancer treatments (especially chemotherapy) also cause weakness.

Blood Loss

Weakness caused by blood loss may require a blood transfusion. A blood transfusion is given in hospital. This treatment consists of feeding donor blood into your body through an intravenous line.

Heart Attack

Treatment options for weakness caused by a heart attack will be determined by your doctor.

Source: http://www.healthline.com