Do you often feel weak every time you go upstairs or just to stand up? Or maybe you have experienced sudden muscle weakness?
Many medical conditions can reduce muscle strength and make a person feel weak. Starting from minor illnesses such as flu to emergency conditions such as stroke. Muscle weakness can occur gradually or suddenly.
It is important to know, there are some causes of muscle weakness to watch out for.
1. Aging
As reported by https://www.brasilien-netz.de, from birth to age 30, muscles will get bigger and stronger. At the age of 30 years and over, a person usually begins to lose muscle mass caused by the aging process. Therefore, muscle shrinkage in old age is a natural thing.
Experts call this condition sarcopenia. People usually do not notice this condition until the age of 60-70 years. Symptoms can be in the form of weakness which causes a person to be lazy to do activities
2. Effects of drugs
Some medications can cause loss of muscle mass. Examples of these drugs are steroids and statins (cholesterol-lowering drugs).
If you experience muscle weakness for no apparent reason and have a history of taking these drugs, try asking a medical professional about the possible side effects of the drug.
Also Read: Muscle Pain That Can Affect Anyone, Recognize What Myalgia is
3. Fever and flu
Having the flu often makes a person feel weak. The flu usually lasts for several weeks. Muscle weakness will usually also go away if the flu condition has improved.
One of the diseases whose symptoms are similar to the flu is COVID-19. In addition to coughing and fever, the symptoms that are often found in the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 strain of the coronavirus are muscle weakness. Loss of muscle strength is getting faster in COVID-19 patients with severe symptoms who have to rest in bed for several weeks.
4. Muscle injury
You can experience muscle injuries, such as after lifting heavy objects. People who often repeat certain movements in their daily lives are also prone to muscle weakness. Muscle weakness in this condition is often caused by tearing of the muscle from an injury.
See a medical professional if the injury doesn’t seem to heal or gets worse. Regular stretching can prevent re-injury and maintain muscle strength.
5. Multiple sclerosis
Weak muscles can also indicate a serious disease, one of which is multiple sclerosis. This disease is caused by the immune system attacking the protective layer of nerves. This causes a disconnect between the brain and other parts of the body.
According to the Mayo Clinic, the symptoms of multiple sclerosis depend on the number of nerves damaged and what nerves are affected. Symptoms that often occur are numbness, tingling, and muscle weakness in one or more limbs. In people with severe symptoms, it may be that they are unable to walk on their own.
6. Stroke
Weakness in stroke is sudden. Muscle weakness that occurs generally is the weak half of the body. Some other symptoms of stroke to watch out for are as follows:
- Dizzy
- Double view
- Difficulty speaking
- Loss of body balance
- Headache
- Confusion
A stroke is a medical emergency. If you or a family member experiences signs of a stroke, go to the hospital’s emergency department immediately.
7. Myasthenia gravis
As reported by the National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disease that attacks the nerves and muscles. Not only attacks the muscles in the limbs, but this disease also causes weakness of the respiratory muscles which can lead to respiratory failure.
The hallmark of this disease is muscle weakness that is triggered by activity and improves with rest. Symptoms can occur suddenly. The severity of muscle weakness varies between individuals. Here are the signs of myasthenia gravis:
- Eye muscle weakness
- drooping eyelids
- Blurred vision or double vision
- Changing facial expressions
- Difficulty swallowing
- Hard to breathe
- Difficulty speaking
- Weakness of arms, legs, neck, and fingers
These are some of the causes of muscle weakness. Many other things can cause this complaint, such as sleep disorders, thyroid problems, heart failure, diabetes, and many more.
It can be concluded that muscle weakness can be a sign of certain medical conditions, ranging from mild to serious conditions that can be life-threatening. Therefore, if you feel muscle weakness for no apparent reason, you should consult a doctor.