We all have had days when we feel very tired and even sleep or rest would not help to solve this condition. Being too tired can actually lead to body weakness especially when left untreated for a long time. Medicine may be needed to help counter this body weakness. In some cases, maybe more than medicine is needed. The best way to understand better about body weakness is to get checked by a doctor and to get medical advice.

Body weakness is physical weakness with or without lack of energy and strength. It is also known as asthenia. You might have heard about fatigue that explains such sensation. The terms ” asthenia and fatigue” are both referring to the subjective sensation of feeling tiredness.  Asthenia itself is not a disease or diagnosis. It is considered a common sign for the vast diseases or medical conditions. It may also be an effect following medication.

Asthenia is caused by many health conditions. It can be caused by acute conditions such as infection and chronic causes such as natural ageing, hormonal issues, diabetes, sleep problems and mental health conditions. Asthenia may be alone as the subjective feeling or be associated with muscle weakness such as in cancer and heart failure.

Asthenia itself often be portrayed as symptoms deemed as subjective affecting the physical, emotional and cognitive function. Asthenia often causes disruption in the ability to function well throughout the day. Symptoms itself may be seen as absurd or irrational out of proportion to the activity done throughout the day. Asthenia can occur as a whole or only to specific parts of the body. It usually requires immense effort to move the body part, delayed or slowed movement and even shakiness.

Due to the fact that there are many causes that can lead to body weakness, it can be difficult for patients to understand why this is happening if they do not get checked by a doctor. Doctors will ask questions to get a comprehensive history of patients and perform physical examinations to roughly narrow down all possible conditions. Doctors may also run additional tests such as blood test, urine test and imaging test such as x-ray, MRI or CT scan to get a closer look of the body part affected and the possible causes behind the symptoms. It is important to understand that many tests can be done at once if asthenia has been causing great distress to the person’s life. Other tests include spinal tap and electromyography.

Those who are affected by body weakness would wonder if there is a way to cure this condition. It is important to know that treatment given by doctors will always depend on the underlying causes leading to asthenia. For example, if it is caused by infection, eliminating the infection will gradually improve symptoms. Medical or surgical treatment will depend on the benefits of what the patient can receive. In chronic causes of asthenia, treatment plans often involve more than just medical or surgical management. It often involves multiple disciplines of both medical and non-medical fields. Asthenia caused by medication should be discussed with the doctor to alter the dose or ways of taking it and patients should not stop taking medication without getting medical advice first.

Even though there are cures for body weakness, it can be difficult to actually know the exact causes and even treatment may take time to really treat the issue. Thus, apart from medical advice, you can do many things on your own to help cure body weakness. Below are list of what can be done:

• Regular physical activity as simple as 15 minute walk and gradually build up with aerobic exercises over weeks until reaching the recommended goal of 150 minutes every week
• Getting massage therapy
• Enrol in mind therapy such as behavioural therapy or mindfulness
• Eat regular healthy meals and healthy snacks every 3 to 4 hours
• Ensure the body weight is within healthy weight
• Get adequate quality sleep at night between 7 to 8 hours every night
• Try to manage stress better by doing things you like such as listening to music, reading or spending time with loved one
• Avoid caffeinated drinks or food
• Sometimes drinking enough water is enough to fight tiredness
• Try asking for help from family of friends if task of the day feels too difficult to do
• Set up routine for activities throughout the days but do not force to the extent of doing what is more than capable of

In essence, body weakness is a subjective feeling affecting physical, mental and cognitive function. It can cause limitations to a person’s daily routine or disable a person from being productive as usual. There are many causes that lead to body weakness and treatment to tackle the issues will depend on its causes. It is best to get checked by a doctor whenever body weakness has started to cause problems in daily life.