Adynamia

The Adynamia describes a state of general exhaustion and pronounced lack of drive. It occurs as a result of various physical and mental disorders.

What is adynamia?

Adynamia describes a state of general exhaustion and pronounced lack of drive.

Adynamia is not an independent disease, but rather a symptom. Regardless of its origin, this symptom always has the appearance of a general lack of energy.

The organism is so exhausted because it lacks the energy to maintain important physical processes. It is irrelevant how this lack of energy comes about. Important physical processes are reduced with Adynamie in order to save energy. The causes of adynamia are diverse. It is often based on very different diseases.

These can be mental as well as physical disorders. A typical mental disorder with a pronounced lack of drive is z. B. Depression. Important physical disorders that can develop adynamia include: a. Addison's disease, hypokalemia, hypercalcemia, the chronic fatigue syndrome CFS and muscular dystrophies.

causes

So there is no single cause for adynamia. However, a general process plays a role in the specific manifestation of the symptom. If there is a lack of energy for any reason, important physical functions are reduced.

One cause of the lack of energy is the disruption of energy production. That hits u. a. too, if the supplied nutrients cannot be used properly, e.g. B. with malabsorption of nutrients in the intestine. Or glucose cannot be used properly if there is a lack of insulin (diabetes). Since energy is generated by combustion, z. B. also a lack of oxygen lead to adynamia. In addition, all chemical processes of life take place in an aqueous environment.

In the case of a disease that is characterized by severe dehydration, this also prevents the supply of energy. Furthermore, various hormonal disorders can inhibit energy-releasing processes, such as B. Addison's disease. Many mental illnesses are also based on disturbances in the transmission of nerve stimuli, so that energetic processes do not even start.

Finally, it can also be the case that the body provides enough energy, but has to use it to defend against hostile attacks by microorganisms. Then there is a lack of energy elsewhere and adynamia occurs.

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Symptoms, ailments & signs

With adynamia, there are various symptoms of exhaustion. Those affected feel tired and slack, have no motivation and overall feel less well-being. Depression and apathetic states often occur, which are expressed by indifference and withdrawal from social life. Physical complaints can also occur.

For example, some people suffer from headaches, which can develop into severe migraines as the disease progresses. Acute or chronic muscle pain can also occur. This is accompanied by twitching, movement disorders and sensitivity disorders in the affected area. Persistent exhaustion also affects the gastrointestinal tract - nausea and vomiting, abdominal cramps and occasionally stress-related diarrhea occur.

In the long term, irritable bowel syndrome can occur. Adynamia can cause a fever that manifests itself in sweats, an increased heart rate and other typical symptoms. Other physical symptoms are sore throat and joint, swollen lymph nodes and shivering. Depending on the severity of the disease, these symptoms can have a significant impact on wellbeing and lead to paralyzing mental and physical fatigue. Most of the time, the symptoms appear insidious and worsen over time.

Diagnosis & course

The diagnosis of adynamia is easy.It is "only" a symptom that you can already see by looking. The real job is to diagnose the underlying medical condition.

To do this, the doctor must look at the other symptoms and carry out appropriate diagnostic measures based on existing experience. So there is a lack of z. B. in Addison's disease to the hormones cortisol and aldosterone. An indication of this disease is the massive brown coloration of the skin.

The diagnosis can be confirmed by appropriate laboratory tests. This is often not so easy with other diseases. This is especially true for diseases where adynamia is the main symptom, such as B. CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome) and certain mental illnesses.

When should you go to the doctor?

Adynamie denotes the opposite of dynamics and abundance of energy. If it comes to a pronounced exhaustion situation and increasing listlessness, the person concerned should take it seriously. The background to this sudden or gradual loss of energy should be clarified by a doctor. Adynamia, however, is more a symptom of a disease than a disease value itself. It is important to realize that for some reason the body has cut back all energies to point out a problem.

A person affected should visit the doctor at the latest when the adynamia leads to an increasing withdrawal from social obligations and makes daily work impossible. Occupational restrictions are to be expected as a consequence of the weakness. The family doctor is the first port of call because he knows the patient. If the family doctor takes his patient's exhaustion and lack of energy seriously, he initiates numerous investigations for clarification. The problem here is the variety of possible triggers.

If psychological problems such as depression or burnout are suspected, a referral to a psychiatrist or a specialized clinic can be expected. If physical causes are suspected, various medical professionals can be called in. An internal medicine doctor can look for metabolic imbalances or thyroid dysfunction. He should also look into other ways to track down the adynamia.

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Treatment & Therapy

Treating adynamia naturally includes treating the underlying disease. In many cases it is easy. The hormone deficiency in Addison's disease can be treated with substitution therapy.

The hormone administration is permanently indicated here because the hormone-producing organ, the adrenal gland, is irreversibly destroyed in this disease. The treatment of dehydration after severe water loss can also be easily compensated for with electrolyte infusions. Once serious infections have been identified, these should also be treated well. The same is true for diabetes.

It becomes more difficult with cancer, as cancer treatment with chemotherapy in turn increases the adynamia. Here the life-saving treatment of the underlying disease has priority. The treatment of diseases with adynamia as the main symptom is particularly complicated, such as B. CFS or depression, because the causes are often not known.

Outlook & forecast

As a result of the adynamia, the patient generally feels very tired and listless. The resilience of the patient drops extremely and there is a withdrawal from social life. In most cases, the further course of the adynamia depends heavily on the causative disease. However, it is not uncommon for psychological complaints and depression to develop.

These have a very negative effect on the everyday life and relationships of the person concerned and can thus lead to serious complaints and sadness. Some of those affected also suffer from suicidal thoughts. In some cases, those affected can injure themselves.

What treatment is necessary for adynamia depends primarily on the underlying disease. In some cases, psychological treatment is enough. Not infrequently, however, there are physical causes for the adynamia, so that, for example, surgical interventions are necessary to alleviate these symptoms. It is therefore impossible to predict in general whether life expectancy will be reduced by adynamia.

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prevention

A general recommendation for the prevention of adynamia is to adhere to a healthy lifestyle with a balanced diet, plenty of exercise, abstinence from smoking and little negative stress. This reduces the likelihood of developing diseases that cause adynamia, but it cannot exclude them.

Aftercare

The extent to which follow-up care is necessary after diagnosed adynamia depends on the underlying disease. Some patients manage to get rid of the typical symptoms permanently. However, no immunity has then set in. Rather, the success is due to the lack of the causative disease.

Those affected can then make a contribution to making them feel better themselves. In general, general preventive measures are considered useful. These include a healthy diet, daily exercise and avoiding addictive substances. For some sufferers, however, long-term treatment is indicated. Follow-up care accompanies them for a lifetime.

If a hormonal disorder in the adrenal gland is the cause, substitution therapy is necessary. Blood tests and therapy adjustments take place at regular intervals. Follow-up care is usually postponed for cancer. The focus is on the treatment of the tumor disease. Ideally, the adynamia will subside by itself.

According to medical opinion, depression is a problematic cause. Treatment is difficult because of the often unexplained reasons. Doctors determine psychotherapy and medical support. A worsening of the situation cannot be ruled out. Even small stresses in everyday life can therefore have major consequences.

You can do that yourself

Symptoms such as exhaustion, chronic exhaustion, tiredness and listlessness are summarized under the keyword "adynamia". Adynamia can have various causes (for example, depression). It is important to get to the bottom of these causes medically.

However, those affected can also contribute to improving their condition themselves. It has been proven that regular exercise has an activating effect. The blood circulation is stimulated, the body is supplied with additional oxygen, new synaptic connections are formed in the brain and new blood vessels are formed. Emotional stress is also reduced.

A balanced, healthy diet with sufficient vitamins, fiber and other important nutrients also helps improve your overall condition. The body needs certain nutrients to function properly. Eating regularly, but in moderation and consciously, is important.

A correct balance between activity and rest is also helpful. Sufficient sleep (seven to eight hours) and healthy activities throughout the day with appropriate time out help to improve many processes in the body. If possible, those affected should try to activate themselves. However, it is also important to avoid being overwhelmed. Alcohol and nicotine should be avoided as far as possible, as these stimulants also rob the body of strength.