General weakness and sweating

Any pathological changes in the body are reflected in our well-being. Headaches and increased fatigue, palpitations and hyperthermia, weakness and sweating - all these are symptoms that should alert a person, because they indicate that the body is experiencing heavy loads due to certain failures in the work of various organs.

Particular attention should be paid to symptoms that occur not alone, but in combination with others, outlining the clinical picture of a separate pathology. For example, weakness itself can be a simple consequence of overfatigue, but if there is also increased sweating and some other symptoms, then strong anxiety may be the least of the evils that can cause such symptoms.

Let's try to figure out what the appearance of such symptoms as weakness and sweating may indicate. What pathologies may include such symptoms in the clinical picture? What measures should be taken to normalize your condition?

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Causes weakness and sweating

There are also reasons for weakness that cannot be called physiological. In this case, weakness will be a response to pathological changes in the body, being a symptom of one of the diseases.

Weakness may be a consequence of the following conditions:

• food and non-food poisoning,
• overheating or hypothermia of the body,
• dehydration of the body against the background of the same poisoning or as a result of insufficient fluid intake into the body,
• sleep disturbances, as a result of which the body does not have time to restore strength,
• depressive state,
• a lack of useful vitamins and minerals in the body, and as a result, vitamin deficiency, anemia, etc.,
• cardiovascular pathologies,
• infectious diseases both in the acute stage and in the chronic course,
• diseases of the digestive tract,
• neurological problems,
• thyroid dysfunction,
• metabolic disorders, such as diabetes,
• oncological pathologies,
• chronic fatigue syndrome,
• low hemoglobin levels in the blood,
• alcoholism, etc.

This list can be continued indefinitely, because weakness is a very common symptom, characteristic of a large number of pathological conditions. Moreover, the pathogenesis of this symptom in each specific case will be different. Weakness can be caused by: hormonal imbalance, vascular disorders and hypoxia, neurological factors, toxic effects of poisons and bacterial waste products on the body, etc.

Now let's move on to sweating. This condition is even more ambiguous. In principle, sweating is considered a normal physiological process. In small doses, imperceptible at first glance, sweat secretion occurs constantly. But even moderate and strong sweating in response to certain factors is considered natural and should not cause concern.

In the pathogenesis of sweating, the following are distinguished:

• Thermoregulatory sweating, which prevents the body from overheating when the ambient temperature rises. Sweat secretion is observed throughout the body.
• Psychogenic sweating. Occurs during nervous tension as a result of stress, anxiety, fear, anger, etc. In this case, increased sweating can be both generalized and local (for example, on the hands or armpits).
• Food sweating is associated with food intake and does not depend on its temperature. That is, the consumption of hot food and drinks provokes thermoregulatory sweating, but alcohol, spicy dishes and products with a rich taste that irritate food receptors associated with the sympathetic nervous system can increase the work of sweat glands in any case. It can appear all over the body or in the face, neck, armpits.
• Hyperhidrosis (increased sweating) caused by taking certain medications. Medicinal or iatrogenic hyperhidrosis is a side effect of medications, which is described in the instructions for them. It is also associated with irritation of the brain centers that control the work of the sweat glands.

Excessive sweating can have many causes. In addition to mental stress, high temperatures, and the use of irritating foods, alcohol, or medications, changes in sweating can be caused by:

• heavy physical exertion,
• sports activities,
• active recreation.

In this case, there is no need to worry, because it is natural. But there is another, less pleasant list of reasons for increased sweating, which makes you think about your health. After all, many diseases can cause an increase in the amount of sweat secreted:

• various pathologies of the nervous system associated with trauma or damage to the central nervous system or the autonomic nervous system due to other diseases (after all, the process of sweating is controlled by the central nervous system),
• brain diseases,
• endocrine system dysfunction, hormonal imbalance,
• various infectious diseases, even those that occur in a chronic or latent form,
• cancer, especially with metastases to the mediastinal region,
• pathologies of the cardiovascular system.

Among other things, hyperhidrosis can be a distinctive family trait, i.e. have a hereditary character. But in this case, it is necessary to distinguish between primary and secondary hyperhidrosis. In the first case, excessive sweating is an innate feature of a particular person, not associated with any disease. In the second, we are talking about some hereditary diseases, one of the symptoms of which is excessive sweating.

Having carefully studied the causes of both symptoms, one can see many points of contact. Weakness and sweating, both as a separate symptom and in combination with each other, can appear as a result of physical and mental stress, exposure to various environmental factors, neurological, cardiovascular, oncological and endocrine pathologies, exposure to infectious factors, etc.

Sometimes the appearance of weakness and sweating indicates a certain disease, but according to statistics, in most cases we are talking about a combination of various pathologies and conditions of the body. For example, heart disease and physical fatigue, hormonal imbalances and neurological disorders, etc. Moreover, each of us has encountered these symptoms more than once, but did not always attach importance to them.

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Risk factors

Risk factors for weakness may include:

• lack of normal night rest (both a lack of sleep and its excess are dangerous),
• unbalanced nutrition, as a result of which the body does not receive the substances necessary for energy metabolism,
• strict diets,
• physical inactivity, which results in muscle weakness,
• stressful situations leading to CNS fatigue,
• performing work involving constant voltage,
• pregnancy,
• heavy physical labor (especially in the absence of adequate rest), leading to exhaustion of the body, etc.

And even situations such as intense joy, strong excitement or simply active recreation in the fresh air can cause a feeling of weakness, which is not bad.

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Pathogenesis

Let's first look at each symptom separately. Let's start with the concept of "weakness." This term is used to denote a lack of strength to perform an activity that previously did not cause difficulties and fatigue. This applies not only to professional duties, but also to everyday household chores.

When a person complains of general weakness, he means both a lack of muscle strength and a decrease in vitality, which manifests itself in a decrease in the ability to do physical and intellectual work. It is easy to understand that such a condition cannot arise out of nowhere. This is confirmed by the research of scientists in the field of medicine.

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Symptoms

Despite the fact that weakness and sweating are not considered a specific disease, they can signal the development of some pathology in the body, which must be identified and eliminated as early as possible. But in order to understand what exactly is happening to a person, you need to understand what each of the concepts that denote a certain state of a person means.

What do we mean by the general concept of "weakness"? By what signs does a person determine that his body lacks strength? Let's try to define the main manifestations of general weakness as a symptom of various disorders in the body:

• the person becomes absent-minded and has difficulty concentrating on a specific task,
• memory and intellectual abilities deteriorate,
• it becomes more difficult to find the right words,
• labor productivity falls,
• a person constantly feels tired, even without heavy physical exertion,
• fatigue appears even when performing work that was previously easy and interesting,
• there is a decrease in interest in what is happening, apathy,
• nervous excitability increases, a person becomes more irritable,
• drowsiness appears, but sleep does not always improve the condition,
• muscle weakness and difficulty performing physical work appear.

As we can see, the abstract concept of weakness has quite a lot of physical manifestations, which can be both the first signs of physical or mental overstrain, and symptoms of various pathologies.

Now let's talk about sweating in more detail. Physiological sweating can be almost imperceptible or visible to the eye. It depends on many factors: mental state, ambient temperature, the nature of the food consumed, etc. But if we are talking about pathological sweating, then there are definitely external manifestations that are not tied to the physical or mental state of a person. In other words, excessive sweating can be observed both under the influence of environmental factors and without them.

It is pathological, excessive sweating that is commonly called "hyperhidrosis." Moreover, it can manifest itself both during the day and at night, regardless of the ambient temperature.

Normally, human sweat glands secrete at least 500 ml of sweat per day. The minimum amount of sweating is observed at low temperatures and in the absence of physical or mental stress. The maximum amount of sweat that can be secreted from the body is 3 liters per hour, but this is already fraught with dehydration. There is no need to talk about specific sweating standards, because the volume of sweat secreted can depend on many conditions.

Hyperhidrosis is usually spoken of when sweating regularly leaves marks on clothing, and the larger the diameter of such wet spots, the more serious the situation. And this does not include situations when intense sweating is associated with physical exertion or anxiety, i.e. a person sweats even when he is calm and busy with work that does not require exertion. It is this kind of sweating that is considered the first sign of problems with the body.

Diagnostics weakness and sweating

I would not like to repeat myself, but let us remind you once again that weakness and sweating are not the symptoms that can be used to immediately make a diagnosis. If the symptoms are not regular and appear under the influence of provoking factors, such as temperature exposure, emotional overload, heavy physical work, etc., there is no reason to worry too much. You just need to trace the relationship between the emerging symptoms and take measures to reduce the negative impact.

It is worth contacting a doctor if such symptoms as weakness and hyperhidrosis are accompanied by other unpleasant and even dangerous symptoms, especially if they occur regularly. You can also seek medical help if suspicious symptoms occur without any apparent reason, perhaps they indicate an illness that is just beginning.

If you have complaints about general or muscle weakness accompanied by increased sweating, you should contact your general practitioner or family doctor, and after a physical examination, anamnesis, laboratory tests and simple examinations (measuring blood pressure, pulse, listening, ECG) they will decide which specialist to refer a specific patient to for further diagnostics. You may also need to consult a cardiologist, neurologist, psychotherapist, psychologist, endocrinologist, oncologist or other specialists.

Since the symptoms we are studying do not indicate a specific pathology, but indicate certain disorders in the body, laboratory tests are of great help in understanding the cause of the ailment. A clinical blood test and a general urine test are mandatory tests prescribed to patients with such complaints. Additionally, the following may be prescribed: a biochemical analysis, a blood test for sugar, and a hormone test. When it comes to an infection, a blood test for the pathogen (ELISA, PRC, etc.) may be needed, which will help in prescribing antibiotics. In some cases, a blood test for antibodies is additionally prescribed. If cancer is suspected, blood is donated for tumor markers or a tissue biopsy is performed followed by a histological examination. To assess the state of the immune system, an immunogram is performed based on venous blood or other physiological fluids.

The degree of hyperhidrosis is determined by the Minor test or other specific tests, and the localization of wet areas on the body will also tell the doctor a lot. Of particular interest are localized forms of hyperhidrosis and situations where increased sweating appeared suddenly, although the person had not previously suffered from such a symptom.

As for instrumental diagnostics, first of all, the work of the heart is always examined, for which a cardiogram is prescribed. If hypertension or hypotension is suspected, daily blood pressure monitoring is prescribed. If there is reason to think about the condition of the vessels, they are scanned (angioscanning, Dopplerography, ultrasound, etc.)

If, in addition to weakness and sweating, there is a prolonged elevated temperature and cough, a chest X-ray is required, which will help diagnose possible pneumonia, tuberculosis or tumor processes in the respiratory organs.

If pathologies of internal organs are suspected, ultrasound examination (US), computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging (CT and MRI), radiography of individual organs or a specific area in the body are prescribed.

If pathologies of the central nervous system and brain are suspected, a tomogram, EEG, echoEG, ultrasound of the brain and other necessary studies are prescribed.

Additional symptoms (hyperthermia, dizziness, nausea, muscle weakness, etc.) are of great help in establishing the disease, helping to narrow the range of suspected diseases and avoid unnecessary diagnostic measures.

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Differential diagnosis

Since the stated symptoms are non-specific and do not allow a preliminary diagnosis, the decisive role is given to differential diagnostics, which uses the results of all tests and instrumental studies, anamnesis data and physical examination. This is the only way to establish the true cause of weakness and sweating, and sometimes even more than one.

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Complications and consequences

Weakness and sweating are fairly common symptoms, and although they do not always indicate a disease, they cannot be ignored, because this is a clear signal that something is wrong in the body. A healthy person rarely experiences such symptoms, unless they are very nervous, for example, like students before an exam. But even in this case, at least rest and peace are needed, which will help to normalize well-being and restore working capacity.

Take the banal hypothermia or overheating of the body. If you do not take appropriate measures (even the simplest ones: cold on the forehead or hot tea with a warm foot bath), you can expect unpleasant consequences. First of all, the cardiovascular system and the brain suffer. How severe the consequences will be for them depends on the duration and strength of the temperature effect, as well as on the timeliness of treatment and preventive measures. But even elementary complications in the form of increased blood pressure due to overheating and the appearance of cold symptoms due to hypothermia will clearly not bring anything good.

When weakness is accompanied by intense sweating, this indicates that the body is weakened, which means it can easily succumb to negative environmental influences. And “our” opportunistic microbes are not asleep and, with any weakening of the body, are ready to contribute to the development of various diseases, which will be quite difficult to cope with in conditions of loss of strength.

And even if weakness and hyperhidrosis appeared as a consequence of a cold in the recovery stage, this is a signal that the body needs help in restoring strength. But similar symptoms can also appear at the beginning of the disease, which, with due attention to your well-being, should help to catch the disease in its infancy, when it is much easier to fight it than during its peak. And this applies not only to colds.

Symptoms such as weakness and sweating, although not specific, are still of some value for diagnosing diseases and their progression. If such symptoms appear against the background of oncological pathology, this usually indicates that the disease is far from being in its initial stage, which means that a person will have to fight hard for his life. But the sooner help is provided, the more likely a person is to emerge victorious from this cruel struggle.

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Prevention

There is no point in talking about any prognosis regarding weakness and sweating until it is determined what causes such symptoms. If this is ordinary fatigue, it does not pose a particular danger to the body. A person only needs to have a good rest and enrich their diet with products high in vitamins, and the condition will quickly stabilize.

The prognosis will not be so comforting if we are talking about chronic fatigue. It is important to understand that loss of strength is a rather dangerous condition when the body is defenseless against the impact of negative factors that contribute to the development of various diseases. If nothing is done, the symptoms will become life-threatening. Weakness will become such that a person will not be able to stand on his feet without help, and severe sweating with any exertion of strength will lead to the loss of fluid and elytrolytes by the body, which is considered life-threatening.

If the symptoms are caused by some diseases, the prognosis will depend on the timeliness of the treatment started and its effectiveness. Here, everything must be taken into account: how the patient follows the doctor's recommendations, how seriously he takes his condition, what is the psychological mood of the patient.

It is clear that the least favorable prognosis can be made if weakness and sweating are associated with extensive myocardial infarction or cancer in the last stages.

As we can see, even such seemingly harmless symptoms can signal life-threatening diseases, which means they cannot be ignored. But almost any disease can be prevented if you think about your health before the first suspicious symptoms appear.

Let's talk about the lifestyle and nutrition changes that will help avoid not only overwork, but also the development of various serious diseases. To do this, you just need to think about your health (let's not forget that health is happiness) and:

• Try to make your diet more balanced, excluding from it all unnecessary products and additives for the body, giving preference to fruits, vegetables, cereals, nuts, legumes, as well as home-made meat and fish, natural dairy products, teas, compotes, herbal infusions.

It is important to remember that our body should receive a sufficient amount of vitamins at any time of the year. In the summer, fresh fruits and vegetables are very helpful, and out of season, you need to actively add dried fruits, nuts, frozen berries and fruits, canned juices, compotes, and jam to your diet. In winter and spring, when symptoms of loss of strength appear, it is useful to supplement your diet with vitamin and mineral complexes, because fresh fruits stored for storage contain extremely few vitamins by this time, and dried fruits and frozen ones are quite expensive to cover the deficiency of nutrients with them alone.

• Don't forget about the drinking regime. A person should drink at least 1.5 liters of water per day, which is necessary to cleanse the body and prevent intoxication with waste products, maintain vitality and performance of various organs and systems. In hot and stuffy weather, the amount of liquid consumed should be increased (at least 2-2.5 liters). The same is recommended after visiting a bathhouse, solarium, sauna, working at high ambient temperatures, an increase in body temperature during illness or overheating.
• Pay due attention to your physical fitness. Morning exercises, gym or outdoor activities, walks in the fresh air, tourism, active games, cycling, swimming - all this will help make life not only healthier, but also much more interesting. After all, such activity is, first of all, positive emotions that strengthen the body no worse than various medicines and products.
• Give preference to a healthy lifestyle, which involves not only moderate physical activity and proper nutrition, but also giving up bad habits. Believe me, you can successfully calm your nerves without alcohol, nicotine, "weed", etc. Life without all this is no less beautiful if you learn to notice beauty, and not take the easy way, enjoying a drag or a sip of alcohol, which only cloud the brain, but do not contribute to the progress of thinking.

In addition, bad habits negatively affect a person's physical and mental abilities. So it is not always necessary to blame general weakness for this. Most often, the reason is the lack of willpower to refuse something that only harms the body.

• See a doctor when the first suspicious symptoms appear. Don't wait until they develop into a serious illness.

If the symptoms appear once and quickly pass, this is, of course, not a reason to take up the doctor's time (although even here they have no right to refuse you an examination). But if weakness and sweating recur more than once or twice, it is worth seriously thinking about what can cause such symptoms and how to deal with them. And here you can't do without the help of a specialist. But for advice and help you should turn not to a friend or neighbor who knows everything because they already had THIS in their past life, but to an experienced doctor with sufficient knowledge.

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