Mental and physical asthenia occurs after frustration. Physical and mental asthenia. Why does general weakness occur?

Asthenic conditions are one of the most common syndromes in the clinic of nervous, mental and somatic diseases. They arise as a result of intoxication and infectious diseases and accompany the process of a chronic somatic disease as one of the important symptoms. They are the initial stage of many severe organic diseases of the brain, are observed throughout the course, exhausting all psychopathological manifestations, or characterize the onset of some mental illnesses. Asthenia marks the onset of a period of convalescence after treatment or a spontaneous exit from psychosis and, finally, are an independent form of the disease after overwork or mental trauma (neurasthenia).

Asthenic syndrome (asthenia)- a state of increased fatigue, irritability and unstable mood, combined with autonomic symptoms and sleep disturbances.

Asthenia (from the Greek astheneia - impotence, weakness) is a neuropsychic weakness, manifested in increased fatigue and exhaustion, a reduced threshold of sensitivity, extreme mood instability, sleep disturbance (Petrovsky A.V., Yaroshevsky M.G., 1998). With asthenic syndrome, there are general weakness, increased exhaustion, irritability; attention is disturbed, memory disorders can be observed (Zinchenko V.P., Meshcheryakov B.G., 2001).

With asthenic syndrome, the ability for prolonged physical and mental stress is weakened or completely lost. Characterized by affective lability with a predominance of low mood and tearfulness, irritable weakness, combining increased excitability and rapidly onset impotence, as well as hyperesthesia (increased sensitivity to bright light, loud sounds, pungent odors, touch or their intolerance). Frequent headaches, sleep disorders in the form of constant drowsiness or persistent insomnia, various autonomic disorders. A change in well-being is also typical depending on the drop in barometric pressure, heat or other climatic factors: fatigue, irritable weakness, hyperesthesia increase (Snezhnevsky A.V., 1985).

Asthenia - excessive expenditure of forces as a result of increased reactivity and their slow recovery. In the asthenic state, the irritable process predominates due to the weakening of the inhibitory process at the first stage, the weakening of the excitation process at the subsequent stage increases, and, finally, prohibitive inhibition is observed in extremely severe cases (Ivanov-Smolensky A. G., 1952.).

Asthenic syndrome, as a rule, develops gradually. Its first manifestations are often increased fatigue and irritability, along with a constant desire for activity, even in an environment conducive to rest (so-called restless fatigue). In severe cases, this syndrome may be accompanied by spontaneity, passivity, apathy. Asthenic syndrome must be distinguished from mild depressive states, manifested not so much by low mood and vitality of affect, as by a subjective feeling of weakness, lethargy, indifference to the environment, and malaise (Snezhnevsky A.V., 1985).

With certain differences in definitions, there are common clinical signs that give rise to the introduction of the concepts of "asthenia", "asthenic syndrome", "asthenic condition". These symptoms relate primarily to the mental state of the patient, but invariably also relate to the somatic, including the neurological (mainly vegetative) sphere. The most typical, permanent are four symptoms.

1. Irritability. Depending on the form and stage of the disease, it can manifest itself in anger, explosiveness, increased excitability, grouchy resentment, captiousness or displeased obnoxiousness. Fussy anxiety, irritable dissatisfaction with oneself and others, restlessness are observed in asthenia of atherosclerotic etiology. Internal anxiety, restless activity, "inability to rest" are characteristic of irritability in neurasthenia. In some forms of asthenia, irritability is expressed by vulnerability, sensitivity with tears and dissatisfaction for obviously inadequate reasons. Irritability can be very short-term, quickly replaced by tears, a smile or apologies (a manifestation of resentment and discontent of a recovering somatic patient). They can last for hours, repeating again and again, or be almost permanent (with hypertension and atherosclerosis). Depending on the etiology, stage, form of asthenia, irritability phenomena can be pronounced, determine the entire clinical picture (hypersthenic stage of neurasthenia, traumatic cerebral palsy), closely combine with other symptoms of asthenia, or recede into the background, occasionally occurring in an unsharp form (irritability in convalescents). after prolonged infections and intoxications). However, to one degree or another and in one form or another, the symptom of irritability is inherent in every asthenic condition.

2. Weakness. Like irritability, the symptom of weakness is heterogeneous in itself and appears in various clinical combinations with other painful disorders in different forms asthenia. In some patients, this is an almost constant, more or less quickly appearing feeling of physical and mental fatigue, limiting performance, often occurring even before work begins. Others have an inability to exert themselves for a long time, rapid exhaustion, leading to a drop in the quality and quantity of work performed within a few hours after it began. Weakness may appear:

in a feeling of impotence, weakness, inability to memorize, creativity, which is accompanied by tears and despair (convalescents after somatic diseases), or in a feeling of lethargy, weakness, difficulty in thinking, fragments of associations, lack of thoughts, a feeling of emptiness in the head, a drop in activity and interest in surrounding (asthenia in schizophrenia);
in drowsiness in combination with constant physical and mental fatigue (asthenia after suffering, encephalitis);
in causeless fatigue, lethargy with a drop in mental productivity, bradypsychia and drowsiness, reaching the degree of stunning (asthenia in gross organic diseases of the brain);
in the form of increased physical and mental exhaustion with severe sweating, "vascular play" and general tremor, especially often occurring after excitement or conflict.

However, no matter how different the manifestations and degree of weakness, increased exhaustion, fatigue, a subjective feeling of fatigue and a decrease in productivity at work are evident in any asthenia.

3. Sleep disorders. And this symptom is pathognomonic, but clinically heterogeneous in various forms and stages of asthenia of different origin. Combinations of sleep disorders with other pathological manifestations of asthenia are also not the same. So, for example, asthenia in the initial stage of hypertension is characterized mainly by difficulty falling asleep, and the stronger the fatigue, the more difficult it is usually to fall asleep.

Sleep disturbances can manifest as unusually persistent and prolonged insomnia or sleep without a "feeling of sleep" when the patient emphatically (and subjectively truthfully) denies staff reports that he slept during the night.

The sleep of a patient with neurasthenia is distinguished by sensitivity, anxiety, "transparency", sometimes also "lack of feeling of sleep" and always by the lack of freshness after sleep. Such disorders are combined with characteristic fluctuations in mood, well-being and performance, with "constricting" headaches and other mental and somatic disorders typical of this disease. Insomnia in neurasthenia is often associated with a temporary rise in performance at night.

Sleep disorders can be characterized by a perversion of the "formula" of sleep (drowsiness during the day, insomnia at night), bouts of hibernation from a few minutes to longer periods. Such sleep disorders are combined with typical mental, neurological and somatic symptoms of the disease (encephalitis) that gives rise to such asthenia.

The sleep of a patient with asthenia in atherosclerosis of the cerebral vessels is characterized by early waking up with a feeling of unaccountable anxiety, internal restlessness, a premonition of impending misfortune. Such sleep disorders are combined with a drop in working capacity and other somatic and mental changes inherent in this disease.

4. Autonomic disorders are also a mandatory symptom of every asthenic condition. Depending on the etiology of the disease that caused asthenia, features nervous system patient and a number of other points, they can be expressed slightly or, on the contrary, come to the fore. Sometimes these disorders determine, especially in the subjective complaints and feelings of the patient, the picture of the disease or remain “stuck” after successful treatment and the disappearance of other symptoms of asthenia (protracted vegetative disorders in some cases of asthenia, etc.).

Most often there are various forms of vascular disorders.

G. V. Morozov (1988) considers fluctuations in blood pressure, tachycardia and pulse lability, a variety of unpleasant or just pain in the heart area, ease of blanching or redness of the skin, a feeling of heat at normal body temperature, to be the most common disorders of the cardiovascular system. or, on the contrary, increased chilliness, increased sweating - either local (palms, feet, armpits), or relatively generalized.

An almost constant complaint in asthenia is headaches, heterogeneous in various asthenic conditions. Headaches in neurasthenia often occur with excitement, fatigue, by the end of the working day, they are constricting in nature (patients indicate that they are wearing a hoop on their heads - “neurasthenic helmet”). With asthenia of hypertensive origin, headaches occur more often at night and in the morning. The patient gets up with a severe headache, often wakes up because of it; pains are "bursting". With traumatic cerebral palsy, headaches are often constant, aggravated by heat, fluctuations in barometric pressure, and affective outbursts. Headaches in vascular syphilis often have a "shooting" character. With asthenia of schizophrenic origin, one can hear a complaint not only about pain, but also about the fact that “something is crawling in the head”; “brains dry, swell”, etc.

Vascular instability is also manifested in fluctuations in blood pressure. An increase in blood pressure often occurs after unrest, is short-term and unsharply pronounced. The lability of the vessels also causes a slight blanching or redness, especially during unrest. The pulse is labile, usually rapid. Patients complain of discomfort in the region of the heart, stabbing pains and palpitations, often without increased heart rate. In some patients (for example, with traumatic asthenia), vascular asymmetries occur: different numbers of blood pressure on the right and left brachial arteries, etc. According to T. S. Istamanova (1958), extrasystoles and changes in the electrocardiogram are common, depending from the state of higher nervous activity.

Do you ever feel like you just can't do it anymore? If so, you are experiencing the effects of mental overwork. Brain fatigue symptoms like these sound familiar when you experience the effects of stress and hustle and bustle from your environment.

We have all experienced physical fatigue, so these signs are quite familiar to us. Compared to how your brain controls the processes that take place in the body, mental fatigue is quite a serious phenomenon. In this article, we will look at the signs of mental fatigue, as well as several ways that can help combat it.

1. You know too much is happening at the same time.

Emotions overwhelmed? You are probably literally overloaded with sensory experiences. Sounds, smells, sights, mental activity, physical changes. Sometimes all this happens in a busy environment and can cause too much mental clutter.

When there is too much input from all the senses, your brain starts showing signs of stress and mental fatigue. You may notice that you have to ask people to repeat you. In addition, in this state, you can make spelling mistakes.

Try to turn off any noisy devices that you can control, such as a fan, music, TV, buzzing lights, etc. Turn to the source of information and observe him to bring him to full understanding. Limit yourself as much as possible from performing a huge number of tasks.

2. You don't have free time

Do you remember the last time you went on vacation? Research in the journal Environment and human behavior" showed that there are two strategies that can help you manage your mental fatigue more effectively. To do this, avoid those things that cause mental overwork and stress.

One strategy is to avoid unnecessary costs in terms of attention management. In other words, thought processes should be limited. If you can, delegate certain tasks to trusted individuals or delay making decisions, provided they are not urgent.

In another case, we are talking about increasing the efficiency of recovery processes. They offer a restorative environment, reflection spas, all of which will help clear your mind so you can think clearly again. Indeed, even a short exposure to the sun is what you need to be able to keep moving.

3. You have a mental block

A mental block is when you are so exhausted that you cannot continue to think. You just stop thinking until you can calm down so you can regain your strength and start again.

Researchers from the Journal of Psychology who study mental fatigue found that mental blocking acts “like an automatic defense that prevents a person from working continuously.” In other words, you can't use your brain because it will just stop working the moment you're really tired.

4. You feel more emotional lately

Depression or anxiety can be symptoms of mental fatigue because the person may feel hopeless in how they will be understood by others. Being mentally tired can very much resemble a kind of depression because your mental energy level is so low. For example, you may feel anxious that the situation will not improve.

If the situation that causes you mental fatigue is causing you to be out of control, you may feel emotions of anger towards the person you see as the cause of all your suffering.

5. Physical symptoms

Headaches, stomach discomfort, bowel problems, loss of appetite, insomnia, and nervousness are all some of the physical symptoms you may experience, which in turn are signs of mental fatigue. Of course, you can consult your doctor if they are of concern to you. The therapist is able to provide you with helpful advice.

6. You forget little things, but things that are important enough for you.

Forgetfulness and memory lapses are a sign of mental fatigue. Your brain processes a lot of information at once, but memories don't work the same way. At a later time, when you are resting, your brain remembers.

You will find it difficult to remember as well as focus on anything for a long period of time. If you can avoid anything that could harm people when using your mental powers (such as driving a car), that would be better. Avoid such activities until you have rested from your mental overwork.

7. One question can make you explode.

Answering questions and making decisions throughout the day, you get tired from overwork and can no longer answer. People will need to do without you, because you are shying away from answers due to mental overwork.

Let other people take over the small decisions you need to make in one day. By putting aside small decisions like not knowing what to cook for dinner, you can make one more decision in your favor that can prevent mental fatigue.

You can read in our Library. Simple but actionable advice The author will help restore energy and forget about fatigue. Studies show that the techniques suggested by Dr. Teitelbaum increase energy levels by 91%.

What person does not know the feeling of weakness in the body, when there is no strength to just get out of bed, not to mention more energy-consuming things? A feeling of general weakness is a subjective factor in a person’s well-being when he has a lack of strength for any physical activity and daily activities, the implementation of which in a normal state does not cause any problems. At the same time, fatigue and weakness are similar in sensations for a person - there is a feeling of exhaustion, I want to quickly take a horizontal position and not move. But the difference is that the cause of banal fatigue is obvious, for example, physical training, lack of sleep, or a very active day. With regard to general weakness, a person feels a lack of strength for other reasons, which he himself cannot always determine if they are not obvious.

Why does general weakness occur?

What are the reasons for the emerging weakness? All causes can be divided into two large groups - known and unknown. So, for example, if a child or adult has the flu, they have heat, of course, that he will feel exhausted even without any physical exertion, and at the same time, the reason for feeling unwell is obvious. Another thing is when a person feels general weakness for a long time without any bright accompanying symptoms, and does not know that this condition is a manifestation, for example, of anemia or hormonal pathologies.

The fact is that fatigue itself and general state weakness can be a symptom of a large number of diseases, and it can be caused by more than a hundred causes. Among them, for example, there is beriberi - a lack of vitamins, one or more. Often causeless weakness is a consequence of a lack of B vitamins in the body, especially vitamin B12, which is responsible for the production of red blood cells and prevents the development of anemia. It is because of its lack that a person can develop anemia (anemia), which can provoke a state of weakness and weakness. Vitamin D deficiency, produced by the body under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, especially makes itself felt in winter and autumn. The feeling of chronic fatigue and weakness during these seasons can be triggered by a lack of the "sunshine" vitamin.

Depression is a serious psychiatric disorder, and not a banal bad mood, as a fairly large number of people mistakenly think. It is manifested by a constant feeling of depression, physical and mental retardation, disturbance and disorders of thinking.

Thyroid diseases and related hormonal disorders lead to the formation of a feeling of weakness, for example, with hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism. Reduced organ function (hypothyroidism) provokes weakness in the limbs, when everything literally “falls out of hand”, according to patients. Hyperthyroidism, in addition to the described feeling, is accompanied by nervous excitability, hand tremors, fever, and heart rhythm disturbances.

Celiac disease is not a very common pathology, which consists in the inability of the human intestine to absorb gluten. If the affected person does not know about the problem, and continues to use flour products and various flour products, in addition to flatulence and diarrhea with loose stools, he will experience constant fatigue.

Some other reasons for constantly feeling weak:

taking certain medications (antihistamines, beta-blockers, antidepressants);
vegetative-vascular dystonia;
diabetes;
oncological diseases;
chronic fatigue syndrome;
dehydration;
anemia and other blood diseases;
cardiovascular diseases;
acute and chronic infectious processes, SARS and colds;
state of intoxication.

In addition, a state of malaise can develop during menstruation in women, with injuries to the trunk and skull, after general anesthesia and operations.

Classification of malaise, accepted in the theory of medicine

Depending on the mechanism of development and manifestation of the condition, it is classified into the following types:

generalized weakness that slowly develops and progresses;
acute and rapidly progressing condition;
recurrent and intermittent general weakness.

The nature of the formation and development of malaise is a factor that plays an important role in determining the causes of malaise. So, for example, the first type of state is typical for:

sarcoidosis;
myopathy;
diseases connective tissue;
intoxication;
oncological processes;
metabolic disorders;
endocrinopathy;
psychogenic weakness;
general somatic diseases with and without damage to the neuromuscular apparatus.

An acute condition with a sharp progression can be formed with myopathy, lesions of the nervous system like poliomyelitis, as well as with psychogenic weakness.

The latter type of pathological condition occurs in diseases of the central nervous system and neuromuscular lesions (with myasthenia gravis, periodic paralysis).

Symptoms that form and accompany a feeling of general weakness

As mentioned above, the state of malaise is, first of all, the subjective feeling of a person, his complaints about well-being. The manifestation of weakness can have several variants of symptoms, which consists of several pathological conditions.

For example, weakness may be accompanied by:

distraction of attention;
pain in the head, pain in the joints and muscles;
impaired concentration and memory;
decreased performance and productivity;
speech difficulties;
feeling overtired;
deterioration and decrease in mental activity.

In addition, the state of weakness can be accompanied by:

fever and euphoria;
swollen lymph nodes;
pain in the back and lower back;
eye fatigue, hoarseness of voice;
sleep disturbances and weight fluctuations;
loss of appetite;
severe sweating;
nausea, dizziness,;
temperature rise to subfebrile or high values.

At the same time, a person prefers to be in a stationary state, he has a sharp or gradual decrease in activity, depressed mood, palpitations, pallor of the skin, sensitivity to noise and light.

Weakness in infectious diseases

Most infectious and viral diseases occur against the background of gradually increasing malaise and a general deterioration in well-being, especially while the virus or infection is in the process of reproduction. Weakness in such cases is combined with fever, headache, intestinal disorders and indigestion, diarrhea, sleep disturbance, vomiting, dry cough, nasal congestion. Possible skin rashes, sore throat, drowsiness, swollen lymph nodes. The condition is directly related to the intoxication that has arisen in the body. Leakage infectious disease possibly without temperature, especially in patients with weak immunity. A person has a headache and a sore throat, he sleeps a lot and practically does not eat. Such symptoms are characteristic of the acute course of infectious diseases. Weakness may not be accompanied by other pathological manifestations - in this case, we can talk about an asymptomatic course.

It is interesting that during the day the state of the affected person is not the same: if in the morning after waking up he feels relatively cheerful, then in the afternoon, in the evening, the temperature rises, and all symptoms of malaise intensify.

Signs of oncological processes

Constant weakness in cancer patients is their natural state, over time they even get used to it and do not notice their exhausted state. Weakness is due to intoxication of the body, because a growing tumor releases toxic products of its vital activity into the surrounding tissues and blood vessels. Moreover, malaise is manifested by other signs. On early stages development of tumors, a person may notice a slight soreness, and when the tumor has already formed, the place of its localization often hurts noticeably. In addition, the sick person loses his appetite, and his weight begins to decrease. Worst of all, when the appetite is in order, and the person eats normally, but the weight is still melting before our eyes - this means that the metabolic processes are disturbed. One of the early signs of oncology is an unreasonable increase in body temperature without visible reasons. In fact, the reason lies in the suppression of the immune system by the tumor, which reacts in this way in response. The patient may feel at the same time increased sweating, he is often thrown into a cold sweat.

Nails, hair and skin react to a tumor growing in the body. For example, with a tumor of the thyroid gland, there is a strong hair loss, and the nails become brittle. With liver damage, the skin turns yellow, if the disease is localized in the adrenal glands, the skin darkens.

Weakness in diabetes

The main reasons why weakness can form in a patient with a diagnosis of diabetes:

overdose of insulin-containing drugs in type 1 diabetes;
developing pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, nervous system, kidney damage;
diseases of the cardiovascular system;
inadequate dosage of hypoglycemic drugs in type 2 diabetes;
the formation of one of the types of lumps (hyperosmolar, ketoacidotic, hypoglycemic, lactacidic);
the use of alcoholic beverages;
intense physical activity.

It is known that in the patient diabetes some processes are not the same as in healthy person. The pancreas fails to produce enough insulin. Its lack and the development of cell receptor resistance to it causes glucose not to enter the tissues of the body in the right concentration. Glucose, in turn, is a source of energy for life support. In addition, an increase in the concentration of glucose in the blood leads to its thickening, and the internal organs no longer receive the required amount. nutrients because they don't get as much blood flow. The result of such a violation is a feeling of weakness that haunts a diabetic.

Diseases of the spine, in which a breakdown can form

Can a feeling of weakness from the spine, in which pathology is formed, bother a person? Osteochondrosis is one of the most common spinal diseases that develops in men and women in adulthood or old age. It is associated with destructive processes in the vertebrae and intervertebral discs, resulting in the destruction of the cartilage and connective tissue of the spine. The location of the vertebrae changes, the distance between them decreases, a person experiences clamps of nerve endings. A person feels pain in the back of the head, lower back, chest, sometimes in the limbs. In addition, the affected person feels weakness - most often, it is localized in the lower extremities, they literally do not hold the patient, but they can also cover the entire body. A person may go numb and take away his legs and arms, or, conversely, there is pain, burning and tingling in the muscles. General weakness in osteochondrosis of the spine may indicate that degenerative processes cover several departments.

What to do if you constantly feel a breakdown that is not associated with the wrong regimen and lack of sleep? If the performance of the usual and uncomplicated daily activities causes severe fatigue, and there are no objective reasons for this, you should consult a doctor.

The fact is that the state of weakness, if it is constantly present and does not depend on physical exertion, can be a sign of various diseases, from pathologies at work. endocrine system to vitamin deficiency. What exactly caused the unpleasant and lethargic condition, only the doctor can determine.

Who to contact if there is a constant weakness? First of all, you need to visit a therapist. This general specialist will examine and interview the patient, appoint him to take general blood and urine tests, ultrasound of the thyroid gland, fluorography, and possibly refer him to a narrower specialist, for example, an oncologist, endocrinologist, immunologist.

35 years .

Education:1975-1982, 1MMI, San-Gig, highest qualification, infectious diseases doctor.

Science degree: doctor of the highest category, candidate of medical sciences.

Training:

Article author: Maria Barnikova (psychiatrist)

Asthenia: how to overcome painful impotence?

17.06.2016

Maria Barnikova

Asthenia - a state of severe neuropsychic weakness may indicate the onset of somatogenic disorders.

Almost all of us are familiar with the state of " no power to act»: fatigue, fatigue that does not disappear after leisure, muscle weakness. However, many interpret their painful condition as a slight malaise, hoping that the breakdown will pass on its own. However, overpowering impotence, a significant decrease in efficiency, and rapid fatigue from habitual loads are symptoms of an abnormal state of the body called asthenia.

Signs of asthenic syndrome, observed for more than one month and not associated with viral or bacterial diseases, require the adoption of complex therapeutic measures. It is worth noting that asthenia not only does not allow the individual to live a full and rich life, it can be a symptom of more serious problems in the body or transform into an affective disorder - depression.

The term "asthenia" borrowed from Latin (Asthenia) and means "weakness". Asthenic status implies that the central nervous system of a person is in an exhausted state, all systems work at the limit of their capabilities. Manifestations of asthenia - pronounced neuropsychic weakness, instant exhaustion of the resources of the nervous system, reduced tolerance to standard mental and physical stress, a noticeable decline in a person's ability to work.

In addition to the overpowering feeling of weakness, weakness, exhaustion, a person's emotional state undergoes changes, defects in cognitive functions occur. In a person suffering from asthenia, the mood often changes with a predominance of despondency and which outwardly manifest tearfulness. The person becomes nervous and irritable, which causes conflicts in his environment.

Symptoms of asthenia: restlessness, fussiness, thirst to do everything at the same time and quickly. However, due to the rapid exhaustion of nervous processes, the inability to concentrate, the person cannot complete the work begun. The constant companions of asthenia are a variety of pain sensations of a psychogenic nature: headache, “aches” in the joints and muscles, discomfort and cramps in the abdomen.

Causes

Asthenic syndrome is due to the presence of certain congenital and acquired factors that, under adverse circumstances, provoke the onset of the disorder. The soil for the development of asthenia are the following reasons:

inherited predisposition to asthenic and depressive states;
innate properties of the nervous system, causing its weakness and rapid exhaustion;
asthenic personality type.

Possible causes of asthenia:

acquired defects of the central nervous system due to craniocerebral injuries or vascular diseases;
acute infectious diseases affecting the brain;
endocrine pathologies;
oncological diseases.

A separate group of causes of asthenia includes their consequences:

uncontrolled use of psychotropic drugs, drug addiction, abrupt withdrawal of psychostimulants;
drug use, withdrawal syndrome;
alcoholism, withdrawal state.

Among the "social" causes of asthenia, psychologists single out the excessive demands of modernity, forcing a person to exist in an "emergency mode". In this group, the most harmful factors are:

political, economic instability in the country;
high unemployment;
the poor financial situation of many citizens;
excessive information overload;
high demands on the performance and activity of an individual seeking to build a successful career;
severe competition in the labor market.

The reasons for the development of asthenia are:

low level of medical care;
the availability of narcotic substances to the average man in the street;
global alcoholization of the population of the post-Soviet space;
deficit physical activity office workers;
lack of relaxation and relaxation skills;
improper or poor diet due to lack of financial means in people.

Clinical signs of asthenia

It is possible to assume the development of asthenia according to the patient's complaints: his feelings are focused on the very process of painful experiences of his condition. A person really suffers a lot, because he cannot understand the reasons and somehow eliminate the all-consuming weakness, insurmountable fatigue, complete impotence. The individual describes that he has lost his "vital energy", he cannot perform either professional duties or household activities. A patient with asthenia indicates that he lacks the “tone and strength” to perform a template intellectual task in a quality manner.

An important sign of asthenia is the lack of vivacity after a full night's sleep. The person indicates that his condition: "as if he did not go to bed at all, but worked all night long."

Often the patient makes complaints that he has become indifferent to ongoing events. However, questions of the patient establish that he has retained an interest in life, and he is able to enjoy, but he simply does not have the strength to start and finish any pleasant activities.

The objective clinical signs of asthenia are the phenomena of hyperesthesia: an inadequately high response to the action of minor stimuli. Symptoms of asthenic status: excessive sensitivity of the patient not only to external stimuli, but also to internal stimuli.

A person loses his calm and becomes agitated from normally inconspicuous external signals: people talking, television announcer speech, birds singing, dripping water sounds, door creaking. In addition to sound stimuli, the individual is disturbed by the visual signals received: flashes of bright light, flashing pictures on the monitor, natural movements, gestures and facial expressions of people. High tactile reactions are noted: some persons cannot endure the process of combing, others suffer from touching the body of underwear. Asthenic gets on the nerves of a tightly tied tie, tight-fitting clothes, tight shoes.

A subject with asthenia reacts violently to the normal processes of his body: he is unsettled by the feeling of a heartbeat, sounds when inhaling and exhaling, rumbling in the digestive tract.

He intensely experiences the pain syndromes that have arisen, often describing that the headache simply “drives you crazy”: “the head cracks, splits, boils like a cauldron.” At the same time, the appearance of cephalalgia is cyclical: the headache is minimal in the morning and feels like heaviness in the head, and intensifies in the afternoon as fatigue sets in. Many patients with asthenia are characterized by increased meteosensitivity: the malaise increases with changing weather conditions, flights to areas with other climatic conditions.

Symptoms of asthenia are also manifested at the vegetative level, up to sympathoadrenal crises. During the period of vegetative failures in the subject are determined:

increased heart rate;
jumps in blood pressure;
instability of body position, unsteadiness of gait;
tremor of the limbs.

The person describes that a “dark veil” or “flies are flying” appeared before the eyes. It is difficult for him to breathe and he feels how "the earth is leaving from under his feet." He is overcome by flushes of heat, which are replaced by internal chills.

Asthenia and depression almost always make changes in sleep and wakefulness. During the day, the asthenic is lethargic and drowsy, and at night he loses sleep. He fails to fall asleep on time. Falling asleep, he is overcome by nightmares. With asthenia, frequent awakenings at night are noted. Wake up times are pushed back to later in the morning. At the same time, having risen from the bed, he feels himself half asleep.

Under asthenia undergoes changes psychological characteristics personality, behavior model, cognitive abilities. A peculiar portrait of the patient will help to demonstrate a typical asthenic.

Portrait of an asthenic

Such a personality can be characterized by its inseparable feature - defensiveness (defensive position). A defensive person is not ready to show the required degree of aggressiveness and assertiveness when faced with the difficulties of life. His credo is to silently protest, withdrawing into himself, to run away and hide from problems.

As a discharge of accumulated indignation, short outbursts of rage are observed in the close environment, however, such a surge of irritation quickly ends due to the rapid onset of depletion of psychic resources. Such an attack is caused by accumulated grievances and suspicions that all people hate him. A flash of hysteria is replaced by apologies, regrets, tears of repentance.

Astenik is a conscientious and compassionate nature, completely devoid of indifference and insensitivity. A conflict that greatly disturbs him burns in his soul, in which two principles are combined: the experience of a fairly exaggerated inferiority complex and morbid self-esteem. With asthenia, the subject often ascribes imaginary shortcomings to himself and is very ashamed of them. He always folds when faced with human arrogance and rudeness.

An external manifestation of low self-esteem is indecision, lack of confidence in one's abilities, constant doubts, shyness. In an unusual situation, when the gaze of others is turned to the asthenic, he tries to move a decent distance, blushes, lowers his shoulders, tries not to look into the eyes of his opponent, shifts from foot to foot.

A distinctive feature of the asthenic is increased susceptibility, sensitivity, "mimosa-likeness". He cannot recover for a long time after an unpleasant event, and the type of violence can cause fainting. The subject painfully perceives offensive and rude words, for this reason he becomes uncommunicative, meticulously making up a circle of his acquaintances.

A feature of a person with asthenia is an alarming suspiciousness, implying a significant exaggeration of the existing risk. Asthenik "manages" to predict danger even in situations where there is no minimal threat. Instead of painstakingly analyzing the situation and inventing ways to secure, he simply refuses to take action.

Asthenia significantly complicates the implementation of the usual labor process. Absent-mindedness and fatigue leads to the fact that a person performs duties poorly or does not have time to complete the work in full. At the same time, the subject is deprived of strength not only by physically or intellectually complex tasks, but also by an ordinary conversation with an interlocutor, the performance of patterned actions. Due to the distraction of attention, a person cannot put together a long chain of tasks, which often creates an erroneous opinion about the intellectual insufficiency of the asthenic.

Methods of treatment

Since asthenia is not only an independent anomaly, but is also associated with a variety of neurological diseases, somatic ailments, mental disorders, the choice of treatment method requires a comprehensive examination of the patient. In the case of diagnosing the underlying disease, treatment is aimed at eliminating the factors that provoked it and minimizing the manifestation of signs of asthenia.

What to do if asthenia is not associated with other diseases? The basis for the treatment of asthenic syndrome are restorative measures that contribute to the normalization of the functioning of the central nervous system. A patient who has been diagnosed with asthenic status is prescribed physiotherapeutic procedures, a course of massage, acupuncture, and a complex of physiotherapy exercises. Of great importance for stabilizing the coordinated work of the body is properly selected water procedures: contrast shower in the morning, swimming in the pool or open water in the afternoon and a relaxing warm bath with essential oils in evening time.

For asthenia, the statement “movement is life” is true. Therefore, a special place in the treatment of an abnormal condition is given to daily walks on fresh air, mobile sports. The patient is recommended to draw up his weekly schedule in such a way that he can devote his entire weekend to active entertainment: hiking in the mountains, cycling, hiking in the forest. For lovers of gardening work on personal plot- a natural healer that restores the depleted nervous system in a natural way.

However, when embarking on the “rehabilitation” of your body, you should remember: early stages excessive physical activity is unacceptable. Increase the intensity and duration of classes should be gradual, not expecting instant results.

Treatment of asthenia is impossible without a revision of the diet and competent planning of the daily menu. Persons with asthenic status should eat at least four times a day with the same time interval. The main “fuel throw” should be at breakfast and lunch, after dinner, light, low-calorie foods should be preferred. The daily diet must contain cereals from cereals, vegetables and fruits of local origin, lean meats, sea fish and seafood, nuts, dairy products.

Many fatigue sufferers mistakenly believe that coffee and energy drinks can "get them back on track". This is a rather dangerous delusion: all products containing caffeine really activate the work of the nervous system for a short time, however, such stimulation occurs due to the intensive consumption of psychic energy, so cheerfulness is soon replaced by debilitating fatigue. How to overcome asthenia? The rule for asthenics is to drink a sufficient amount of pure non-carbonated water (at least two liters per day).

Among the irreplaceable measures, without which it is impossible to overcome asthenia, is a change in the daily work schedule. Asthenics should forget about a ten-hour or more working day, perform professional duties for no more than eight hours with a mandatory break for rest at lunchtime. At the same time, the daytime break should be reserved not only for eating and discussing problems for dining table. This hour should be devoted to the implementation of breathing exercises, relaxation techniques, methods of relieving emotional stress.

How to get rid of asthenia once and for all? Eliminate stressful situations, minimize the cost of nervous energy for conflicts, quarrels, showdown. Without normalizing the atmosphere at home and at work, it will not be possible to restore the resources of the nervous system. Therefore, in difficult situations, all patients with asthenia are advised to resort to the help of a psychologist or psychotherapist to select the most appropriate methods to eliminate stressors. Since asthenia is often a manifestation of the personality constitution, the doctor will suggest ways to “neutralize” unfavorable individual traits and help with the selection of measures to transform the characterological portrait.

How to deal with asthenia without resorting to the "chemical" arsenal of the pharmaceutical industry? In simple situations, it is advisable to conduct a long course of treatment with natural stimulants, tonics. As a rule, vitamin C, E, group B and mineral complexes are prescribed. It will not be superfluous to use tinctures:

lure;
ginseng root;
eleutherococcus;
leuzei;
Schisandra chinensis;
rhodiola.

With asthenia of various origins, amino acids are often present in the treatment, which contribute to the formation of energy at the molecular level. Good action is shown by drugs: stimol (Stimol) and L-arginine (L-arginine). A fairly common companion of asthenic syndrome is minor defects in the cognitive and mnestic sphere, the functions of which will be restored by nootropic drugs, for example: phezam (Phezam) or cortexin (Cortexinum) .

If asthenia has developed against the background of a violation of cerebral blood supply or is associated with alcoholism, it should be included in the treatment effective remedy mildronate (Mildronate). In the treatment of severe asthenic forms, it is appropriate to use psychostimulants in the treatment, for example: Meridil (Meridiltim) or Sydnocarbum (Sydnocarbum).

In the case of a protracted and persistent course of asthenia, additional diagnostic measures should be taken. In case of confirmation of asthenic depression, treatment with antidepressants is carried out.

Instead of an afterword

Although asthenia is a common phenomenon of our time, and has existed in asthenic status for many years, such a condition is not the norm. Timely medical assistance, establishing the true cause of the anomaly, changing the usual way of life, psychotherapeutic work will make you feel like a completely different person: energetic and cheerful, will give you a chance to feel the fullness of life.

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