Introduction
An attack of weakness is a short, spontaneously occurring state of physical weakness, which in extreme cases can also lead to loss of consciousness. The weakness attack can be accompanied by symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, trembling, greatly accelerated breathing (hyperventilation), impairment of sensory functions such as vision or hearing and palpitations. Weakness attacks are often caused by harmless causes such as hypoglycaemia, lack of sleep, lack of fluids or getting up too quickly. However, it can also be caused by illnesses such as sleep apnoea syndrome and heart disease, or psychological illnesses such as depression or a burnout syndrome.
Causes of a weakness attack
Usually a weakness attack occurs only briefly and passes quickly. Often the causes of the weakness attack are harmless. Examples of “harmless” causes are dehydration, severe hunger, hypoglycemia, lack of sleep or intensive physical activity, which can lead to severe exhaustion and weakness.
Similarly, extreme stress over long periods of time can trigger a weakness attack. This stress can also be caused by emotional stress such as the loss of a loved one or relationship problems. In these cases, the body runs out of energy reserves, which can lead to a weakness attack with symptoms such as dizzy, light-headedness and “blackness before the eyes”.
In addition to these “harmless” causes, a weakness attack can also be caused by illness, be a side effect of certain medications or even occur as a side effect of chemotherapy. For example, sleep apnoea syndrome causes breathing stops at night, which often makes patients very tired and exhausted during the day. Anemia or hypothyroidism can also lead to a weakness attack.
Chronic diseases such as diabetes, chronic inflammatory bowel disease, heart disease (such as heart failure or coronary heart disease), permanently low blood pressure or extreme fluctuations in blood pressure and certain cancers (e.g. leukemia) can have similar effects on the body. After a cold and especially after a flu (influenza), the symptoms of fatigue and weakness can sometimes last for weeks. The period of recovery may be delayed and a longer period of physical rest may be necessary.
If the symptoms persist or are likely to worsen again, a doctor should be consulted urgently to clarify them. Especially people with underlying diseases such as chronic heart or lung disease, diabetes, immunocompromised persons, small children or adults over 65, but also otherwise healthy adults, may experience complications of influenza. If a “dragged out flu” is the cause of the persistent weakness, antibiotics can be used to detect bacteria and improve the symptoms.
Persistent stress, both physical and emotional, can cause severe physical exhaustion and fatigue and over time lead to the onset of a weakness attack. Those affected feel depressed and powerless by the psychological strain and appear to outsiders from exhausted and helpless to burnt out. The frequently occurring feeling of being overwhelmed by the ongoing stress can lead to tantrums, depressive episodes or to extreme exhaustion and tiredness.
Physically, too, those affected often show their stress in the form of facial pallor to pale, gray skin and dark circles under the eyes. Symptoms of weakness can also occur during pregnancy. In the foreground there is often extreme tiredness and lack of strength, but there can also be feelings of overstrain, fear and uncertainty before the change in life circumstances. The cause of these symptoms, which can extend to a weakness attack, are the hormonal and metabolic changes that accompany pregnancy. Other causes, particularly in the later stages of the pregnancy, can include low blood pressure, fluctuating blood sugar levels and an iodine or iron deficiency.
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