What Is Asthenia?

Medically reviewed by Kashif J. Piracha, MD

"Asthenia" is the medical term describing weakness or a lack of energy and strength either across the entire body or in specific body parts. It often develops in people with cancer or anemia but can also occur in the wake of chronic wasting diseases and diseases that affect the performance of the adrenal gland.

This article discusses the types, symptoms, causes, and treatment options associated with asthenia.

Types of Asthenia

The three types of asthenia are:

• General

• Mental

• Physical

General asthenia is characterized by an overall feeling of weakness or lack of strength, while physical and mental asthenia are named for their effects on the body and the mind, respectively.

What Are the Symptoms of Asthenia?

The symptoms of asthenia will differ depending on how the body is affected. If just one area experiences asthenia, you may develop symptoms such as:

• Moving slower than usual

• Tremors or shaking

• Muscle twitching or cramps

In full-body asthenia, you will feel rundown overall. This leads to symptoms such as:

• Fever

• Flu-like symptoms

• Body pain

Full-body asthenia may also cause you to feel fatigued, but that’s not always the case. Mental fatigue and headaches can also occur in asthenia.

Symptoms That Require Emergency Medical Attention

Although rare, asthenia could be a sign of heart attack or stroke. The emergency medical symptoms to look for include:

• Light-headedness or dizziness

• Difficulty speaking

• Vision changes

• Chest pain or difficulty breathing

• Confusion

• Severe headache

• Numbness on one side of the body

Learn More: Signs and Symptoms of Stroke

What Causes Asthenia?

Causes of asthenia can be broken down into two categories: underlying health disorders and side effects of medication.

Some possible health disorders that can lead to asthenia are:

• Nutrient deficiencies

• Sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea (frequent pauses in breathing while sleeping)

• Fatigue syndromes such as chronic fatigue

• Anemia and other blood diseases

• Heart disease

• Stroke

• Muscular dystrophy and other musculoskeletal disorders

• Multiple sclerosis (autoimmune disease affecting the central nervous system)

• Parkinson’s disease (a neurodegenerative movement disorder)

• Diabetes

• Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid)

• Depression or anxiety

• Cancer

• Lung diseases

• Chronic pain syndromes

• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis

Certain medications are shown to cause weakness and tiredness in some, including:

• Antidepressants and antianxiety medications

• High blood pressure medications

• Chemotherapy drugs

• Medicines used to control high blood cholesterol

Asthenia vs. Weakness: What's the Difference?

While both conditions can be marked by weakness, they are different. True muscle weakness doesn’t often occur in asthenia. A person with asthenia still has muscle mass and the potential for strength, but they still feel weak.

Related: Common Causes of Generalized Weakness

How Is Asthenia Diagnosed?

Since there are many possible causes of asthenia, medical providers will perform a complete physical exam and collect a health history. They will also ask about other symptoms you may be experiencing along with asthenia. The goal is to narrow down possible causes so that the proper tests can be ordered.

In general, medical providers will likely want to perform the following:

• Blood tests to check for infections, hormone imbalances, or nutrient deficiencies

• Urine tests to look for illness or disease

• Imaging tests such as X-rays, ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or computed tomography (CT) scans

Why Is Proper Diagnosis so Important?

There are so many causes of asthenia, and other health conditions present similarly, such as chronic fatigue. Because of that, it’s essential to diagnose asthenia and its cause early on to provide timely, effective treatment.

How Is Asthenia Treated?

Treatment for asthenia relies heavily on the diagnostic process. Once the underlying cause is discovered, medical providers can go on to treat the condition causing asthenia.

Summary

Asthenia is typically a symptom of another health disorder or side effect of medication. It is characterized by weakness or a loss of strength. It can be a full-body experience or only occur in one area.

To understand what is causing asthenia, medical providers will run various tests to help confirm or rule out specific health disorders. Since some severe conditions are associated with asthenia, diagnosing quickly is vital to ensuring prompt and effective treatment.

If you are experiencing asthenia, contact your medical provider. They will help get to the bottom of the cause. Since asthenia can indicate a severe and life-threatening condition, such as stroke, it’s essential to understand and monitor symptoms and call emergency medical services if you experience any signs of stroke.