Asthenic conditions: effective and safe therapy. Asthenic condition Asthenia Wiki

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 intake of psychotropic drugs, drug dependence, 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;
lack of physical activity among office workers;
lack of relaxation and relaxation skills;
improper or poor diet due to lack of financial resources 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.

With asthenia, the psychological characteristics of the individual, the model of behavior, and cognitive abilities undergo changes. 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. Properly selected water procedures are of great importance for stabilizing the well-coordinated work of the body: a contrast shower in the morning, swimming in the pool or open water during the day and a relaxing warm bath with essential oils in the evening.

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 in the fresh air, outdoor 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, working on a personal plot is a natural healer that restores an exhausted nervous system in a natural way.

However, when starting the “rehabilitation” of your body, you should remember: in the initial 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 day break should not only be reserved for eating and discussing problems at the dinner 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, an effective remedy, Mildronate, should be included in the treatment. 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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What is asthenia

Asthenia is a psychopathological disorder that develops against the background of diseases and conditions that deplete the body in one way or another. Some scientists believe that asthenic syndrome is a harbinger of other, very serious, diseases of the nervous system and mental sphere.

For some reason, many ordinary people think that asthenia and ordinary fatigue are one and the same condition, named differently. They are wrong. Natural fatigue is a physiological condition that develops as a result of physical or mental overload on the body, is short-term, completely disappears after a good rest. Asthenia is pathological fatigue. At the same time, the body does not experience any acute overload, but it experiences chronic stress due to one or another pathology.

Asthenia does not develop overnight. This term is applicable to people who have symptoms of asthenic syndrome for a long time. Symptoms gradually increase, the patient's quality of life decreases significantly over time. A good rest alone is not enough to eliminate the symptoms of asthenia: complex treatment by a neuropathologist is necessary.

Causes of asthenia

Asthenia develops when, under the influence of a number of factors, the mechanisms of energy production in the body are depleted. Overstrain, depletion of structures responsible for higher nervous activity, combined with a deficiency of vitamins, microelements and other important nutrients in food and metabolic disorders form the basis of asthenic syndrome.

We list the diseases and conditions against which, as a rule, asthenia develops:

infectious diseases (influenza and other acute respiratory viral infections, tuberculosis, hepatitis, food poisoning, brucellosis);
diseases of the digestive tract (peptic ulcer, severe dyspepsia, acute and chronic gastritis, pancreatitis, enteritis, colitis, and others);
diseases of the heart and blood vessels (essential hypertension, atherosclerosis, arrhythmias, coronary heart disease, in particular myocardial infarction);
diseases of the respiratory system (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pneumonia, bronchial asthma);
kidney disease (chronic pyelo- and glomerulonephritis);
diseases of the endocrine system (diabetes mellitus, hypo- and hyperthyroidism);
blood diseases (especially anemia);
neoplastic processes (all kinds of tumors, especially malignant ones);
pathologies of the nervous system (, and others);
mental illnesses (depression, schizophrenia);
postpartum period;
postoperative period;
pregnancy, especially multiple pregnancy;
lactation period;
psycho-emotional stress;
taking certain medications (mainly psychotropic), drugs;
in children - an unfavorable situation in the family, difficulties in communicating with peers, excessive demands of teachers and parents.

It should be noted that prolonged monotonous work, especially with artificial lighting in a confined space (for example, submariners), frequent night shifts, work that requires processing a large amount of new information in a short time, may be important in the development of asthenic syndrome. Sometimes it occurs even when a person moves to a new job.

The mechanism of development, or pathogenesis, asthenia

Asthenia is a reaction of the human body to conditions that threaten the depletion of its energy resources. With this disease, first of all, the activity of the reticular formation changes: a structure located in the region of the brain stem, responsible for motivation, perception, level of attention, providing sleep and wakefulness, autonomic regulation, muscle work and activity of the body as a whole.

There are also changes in the work of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system, which plays a leading role in the implementation of stress.

Numerous studies have shown that immunological mechanisms also play a role in the development of asthenia: certain immunological disorders have been identified in people suffering from this pathology. However, the viruses known to date are not of direct importance in the development of this syndrome.

Classification of asthenic syndrome

Depending on the cause that caused asthenia, the disease is divided into functional and organic. Both of these forms occur with approximately the same frequency - 55 and 45%, respectively.

Functional asthenia is a temporary, reversible condition. It is a consequence of psycho-emotional or post-traumatic stress, acute infectious diseases or increased physical exertion. This is a kind of reaction of the body to the above factors, so the second name of functional asthenia is reactive.

Organic asthenia is associated with certain chronic diseases that occur in a particular patient. Diseases that can result in asthenia are listed above in the "causes" section.

According to another classification, according to the etiological factor, asthenia happens:

somatogenic;
post-infectious;
postpartum;
post-traumatic.

Depending on how long the asthenic syndrome has existed, it is divided into acute and chronic. Acute asthenia occurs after a recent acute infectious disease or severe stress and, in fact, is functional. Chronic, on the other hand, is based on some kind of chronic organic pathology and proceeds for a long time. Separately, neurasthenia is distinguished: asthenia resulting from the depletion of the structures responsible for higher nervous activity.

Depending on the clinical manifestations, there are 3 forms of asthenic syndrome, which are also three consecutive stages:

hypersthenic (the initial stage of the disease; its symptoms are impatience, irritability, erratic emotionality, increased reaction to light, sound and tactile stimuli);
a form of irritability and weakness (there is increased excitability, but the patient feels weak, exhausted; the person’s mood changes dramatically from good to bad and vice versa, physical activity also ranges from increased to complete unwillingness to do anything);
hyposthenic (this is the last, most severe form of asthenia, characterized by reduced working capacity, weakness, fatigue, constant drowsiness, complete unwillingness to do something and the absence of any emotions; there is also no interest in the environment).

Symptoms of asthenia

Patients suffering from this pathology present a wide variety of complaints. First of all, they are worried about weakness, they constantly feel tired, there is no motivation for any activity, memory and quick wit are disturbed. They cannot focus their attention on something specific, they are absent-minded, constantly distracted, crying. For a long time they cannot remember a familiar surname, a word, a desired date. They read mechanically, not understanding and not remembering the material they read.

Also, patients are concerned about symptoms from the vegetative system: increased sweating, hyperhidrosis of the palms (they are constantly wet and cool to the touch), feeling short of breath, shortness of breath, pulse lability, blood pressure jumps.

Some patients also note various pain disorders: pain in the heart, back, abdomen, muscles.

On the part of the emotional sphere, it is worth noting the feeling of anxiety, internal tension, frequent mood swings, and fears.

Many patients are concerned about a decrease in appetite up to its complete absence, weight loss, decreased sexual desire, menstrual irregularities, severe symptoms of premenstrual syndrome, increased sensitivity to light, sound, and touch.

Of the sleep disorders, it should be noted heavy falling asleep, frequent awakenings at night, nightmares. After sleep, the patient does not feel rested, but, on the contrary, feels tired and weak again. As a result, a person's well-being worsens, which means that working capacity decreases.

A person becomes excitable, irritable, impatient, emotionally unstable (his mood deteriorates sharply at the slightest failure or in case of difficulty in performing any action), communication with people tires him, and the tasks set seem impossible.

In many individuals with asthenia, the temperature rises to subfebrile values, sore throats, some groups of peripheral lymph nodes are enlarged, in particular, cervical, occipital, axillary, their pain on palpation, pain in muscles and joints. That is, there is an infectious process and insufficiency of immune functions.

The patient's condition worsens significantly in the evening, which is manifested by an increase in the severity of all or some of the above symptoms.

In addition to all these symptoms related directly to asthenia, a person is concerned about the clinical manifestations of the underlying disease, the one against which the asthenic syndrome developed.

Depending on the cause that caused asthenia, its course has some features.

The asthenic syndrome accompanying neurosis is manifested by tension of the striated muscles and an increase in muscle tone. Patients complain of constant fatigue: both during movement and at rest.
In chronic circulatory failure in the brain, the patient's motor activity, on the contrary, decreases. Muscle tone is reduced, the person is lethargic, does not feel the desire to move. The patient is experiencing the so-called "incontinence of emotions" - it would seem that he is crying for no reason. In addition, there is difficulty and slowing down of thinking.
With brain tumors and intoxications, the patient feels pronounced weakness, impotence, unwillingness to move and engage in any, even previously beloved, deeds. His muscle tone is reduced. A symptom complex resembling myasthenia gravis may develop. Mental weakness, irritability, hypochondriacal and anxious-fearful moods, as well as sleep disorders are typical. These disorders are usually persistent.
Asthenia that occurs after injuries can be both functional - traumatic cerebral palsy, and be of an organic nature - traumatic encephalopathy. Symptoms of encephalopathy, as a rule, are pronounced: the patient experiences constant weakness, notes memory impairment; his circle of interests gradually decreases, there is a lability of emotions - a person can be irritable, “explode” over trifles, but suddenly becomes lethargic, indifferent to what is happening. New skills are hard to learn. Signs of dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system are determined. Symptoms of cerebrosthenia are not so pronounced, but it can last for a long time, for months. If a person leads a correct, sparing lifestyle, eats rationally, protects himself from stress, the symptoms of cerebrovascular disease become almost invisible, however, against the background of physical or psycho-emotional overload, during SARS or other acute diseases, cerebrovascular disease worsens.
Post-influenza asthenia and asthenia after other acute respiratory viral infections are initially hypersthenic in nature. The patient is nervous, irritable, experiences a constant feeling of internal discomfort. In the case of severe infections, a hyposthenic form of asthenia develops: the patient's activity is reduced, he always feels drowsy, irritated over trifles. Muscle strength, sexual desire, motivation are reduced. These symptoms persist for more than 1 month and become less pronounced over time, and a decrease in working capacity, unwillingness to perform physical and mental work comes to the fore. Over time, the pathological process acquires a protracted course, in which symptoms of vestibular disorder appear, memory impairment, inability to concentrate and perceive new information.

Diagnosis of asthenia

Often, patients believe that the symptoms they experience are not terrible, and everything will work out by itself, one has only to get enough sleep. But after sleep, the symptoms do not go away, and over time they only get worse and can provoke the development of very serious neurological and psychiatric diseases. To prevent this from happening, do not underestimate asthenia, but if symptoms of this disease occur, consult a doctor who will make an accurate diagnosis and suggest what measures to take to eliminate it.

Diagnosis of asthenic syndrome is based mainly on complaints and anamnesis data of the disease and life. The doctor will ask you how long ago certain symptoms appeared; whether you are engaged in heavy physical or mental work, whether you have recently experienced overload associated with it; whether you associate the occurrence of symptoms with psycho-emotional stress; whether you suffer from chronic diseases (which ones - see above, in the "causes" section).

Then the doctor will conduct an objective examination of the patient to detect changes in the structure or function of his organs.

Based on the data obtained, in order to confirm or refute a particular disease, the doctor will prescribe a series of laboratory and instrumental studies to the patient:

general blood analysis;
general urine analysis;
biochemical blood test (glucose, cholesterol, electrolytes, kidney, liver tests and other indicators necessary according to the doctor);
blood test for hormones;
PCR diagnostics;
coprogram;
ECG (electrocardiography);
Ultrasound of the heart (echocardiography);
Ultrasound of the abdominal cavity, retroperitoneal space and small pelvis;
fibrogastroduodenoscopy (FGDS);
chest x-ray;
Ultrasound of the vessels of the brain;
computed or magnetic resonance imaging;
consultations of related specialists (gastroenterologist, cardiologist, pulmonologist, nephrologist, endocrinologist, neuropathologist, psychiatrist and others).

Asthenia treatment

The main direction of treatment is the therapy of the underlying disease, the one against which asthenic syndrome arose.

Lifestyle

Lifestyle modification is important.

optimal mode of work and rest;
night sleep lasting 7-8 hours;
refusal of night shifts at work;
calm environment at work and at home;
minimizing stress;
daily physical activity.

Often, patients benefit from a change of scenery in the form of a tourist trip or a vacation in a sanatorium.

The diet of people suffering from asthenia should be rich in protein (lean meat, legumes, eggs), B vitamins (eggs, green vegetables), C (sorrel, citrus fruits), tryptophan amino acid (wholemeal bread, bananas, hard cheese) and other nutrients. Alcohol should be excluded from the diet.

Pharmacotherapy

Drug treatment of asthenia may include drugs from the following groups:

adaptogens (eleutherococcus extract, ginseng, magnolia vine, Rhodiola rosea);
nootropics (aminalon, pantogam, gingko biloba, nootropil, cavinton);
sedatives (novo-passit, sedasen and others);
preparations of procholinergic action (enerion);
(azafen, imipramine, clomipramine, fluoxetine);
tranquilizers (phenibut, clonazepam, atarax and others);
(eglonil, teralen);
B vitamins (Neurobion, Milgamma, Magne-B6);
complexes containing vitamins and microelements (multitabs, duovit, berocca).

As it became clear from the list above, there are a lot of drugs that can be used to treat asthenia. However, this does not mean that this entire list will be assigned to one patient. The treatment of asthenia is predominantly symptomatic, that is, the prescribed drugs depend on the predominance of certain symptoms in a particular patient. Therapy begins with the use of the lowest possible doses, which, if tolerated normally, can subsequently be increased.

Non-drug treatments

Along with pharmacotherapy, a person suffering from asthenia may receive the following types of treatment:

The use of infusions and decoctions of soothing herbs (valerian root, motherwort).
Psychotherapy. It can be carried out in three directions:
- impact on the general condition of the patient and on individual neurotic syndromes diagnosed in him (group or individual auto-training, self-hypnosis, suggestion, hypnosis); techniques can increase motivation for recovery, reduce anxiety, increase emotional mood;
- therapy that affects the mechanisms of the pathogenesis of asthenia (conditioned reflex techniques, neuro-linguistic programming, cognitive behavioral therapy);
- methods that affect the causal factor: gestalt therapy, psychodynamic therapy, family psychotherapy; the purpose of applying these methods is the patient's awareness of the connection between the occurrence of asthenia syndrome and any personality problems; during the sessions, children's conflicts or traits inherent in the personality in adulthood are revealed, contributing to the development of asthenic syndrome.
Physiotherapy:
- exercise therapy;
- massage;
- hydrotherapy (Sharko shower, contrast shower, swimming and others);
- acupuncture;
- phototherapy;
- stay in a special capsule under the influence of thermal, light, aromatic and musical influences.

At the end of the article, I would like to repeat that one cannot ignore asthenia, one cannot hope for “it will go away on its own, just get some sleep”. This pathology can develop into other, much more serious neuropsychiatric diseases. With timely diagnosis, it is quite simple to deal with it in most cases. It is also unacceptable to engage in self-medication: illiterately prescribed drugs can not only not give the desired effect, but also harm the health of the patient. Therefore, if you find yourself experiencing symptoms similar to those described above, please seek the help of a specialist, in this way you will significantly bring your day of recovery closer.

Asthenia is a psychopathological disorder, the characteristic symptoms of which are fatigue, weakness, sleep disturbances, hyperesthesia. The danger of this pathology is that it is the initial stage in the development of mental disorders and more complex psychopathological processes. It is also important that asthenia is considered a very common pathology that occurs in diseases in psychiatric, neurological and general somatic practice.

Asthenia usually accompanies many infectious diseases (influenza, SARS, tuberculosis, viral hepatitis), somatic pathologies (peptic ulcer, acute and chronic gastritis, pneumonia, hypertension, arrhythmia), post-traumatic, postpartum and postoperative periods. Therefore, it is found in the practice of various specialists: neurologists, gastroenterologists, cardiologists, surgeons, traumatologists, psychiatrists. Usually it is one of the early symptoms of a major disease that begins to develop in the body.

Asthenia should be distinguished from a feeling of fatigue caused by a change in time zones, non-compliance with the regime of work and rest, and mental overstrain. From the fatigue caused by these causes, asthenia differs in that it does not appear after the patient has rested.

Reasons for the development of asthenia

As a result of research, it was found that asthenia can be caused by many social factors. Namely, such factors include various life difficulties and circumstances, frequent stress, chronic diseases. All these problems affect not only the psychological health of a person, but sooner or later lead to asthenia.

It is worth noting that, on the one hand, asthenia is a trigger for the development of many diseases, and on the other, it can be one of their manifestations. In particular, the symptoms of asthenia are observed in traumatic brain injuries, degenerative and infectious processes in the brain, and circulatory disorders in the brain.

Asthenia is based on nervous exhaustion, which may appear due to a prolonged illness, strong feelings, depression. The trigger for the beginning of the development of pathology are nutritional deficiencies, metabolic disorders, excessive energy consumption.

Asthenia classification

According to the International Classification of Diseases, asthenia syndrome belongs to the class of neurotic diseases. In clinical practice, it is customary to distinguish the following variants of the disease:

asthenia, which is considered as a symptom of endocrine, somatic, mental, infectious and other diseases;
asthenia caused by mental and physical overload, which is considered a secondary pathology, since you can get rid of it after eliminating its cause;
chronic fatigue syndrome, which is accompanied by weakness and frequent fatigue.

In the classification of asthenia, the following clinical forms are also distinguished: somatogenic (organic, secondary or symptomatic) and psychogenic (primary, functional or nuclear). There are also reactive and chronic forms of the disease.

In most cases, the organic form of the disease is diagnosed after somatic and infectious diseases, degenerative changes that have occurred in the brain, and injuries. This type of disease develops in more than 45% of all cases.

Functional asthenia is a reversible condition that occurs as a protective reaction to depression, stress, excessive physical or mental stress. The psychiatric form of functional asthenia appears as a result of insomnia, anxiety or depression. The acute form is thought to be the result of stress and overwork at work. The chronic form of asthenia occurs due to a sharp decrease in weight, in the postpartum period, after suffering an infectious disease.

Clinical manifestations of asthenia

The clinical picture of asthenia is very diverse, due to several factors. The symptoms of asthenia depend on which disorder is easy to base it on. The mildest form of pathology is asthenia with hypersthenia, which is manifested by impatience, irascibility, a feeling of internal tension.

For asthenia with irritability syndrome, two main symptoms are characteristic - fatigue and a feeling of irritation. The most severe form of asthenia is hyposthenic, which is characterized by a feeling of impotence and severe fatigue. In patients, an increase in the depth of asthenic disorders is often observed, which ultimately leads to a change in the mild form of the disease to a more severe one.

In most cases, the symptoms of the pathology are completely absent or very mild in the morning. However, in the afternoon and even more so in the evening, they gradually increase and intensify. It is believed that one of the most characteristic signs of pathology is normal health in the morning and its deterioration in the late afternoon.

Doctors also pay attention to the fact that the symptomatology of the disease depends not only on the depth of the accompanying disorders, but also on the etiological factor and the constitutional characteristics of the patient. Sometimes there is an opposite effect, when the gradual development of asthenia leads to an increase in the patient's characteristic traits. To a greater extent, this is characteristic of patients prone to asthenic response.

Fatigue

One of the most characteristic symptoms of asthenia is increased fatigue, which is always accompanied by a decrease in productivity (especially with excessive intellectual stress). At the same time, patients complain of forgetfulness, poor intelligence, weakening of concentration, and therefore it becomes quite difficult for them to concentrate on something. At such moments, patients try to force themselves to think about one thing, but completely different thoughts appear in their head completely involuntarily.

During episodes of asthenia, it becomes difficult for patients to formulate their thoughts, they fail to find the right word for this, they complain of failure. Unfortunately, in such situations, a short rest can improve the general condition for a short time. Some, instead of rest, try to force themselves to do work with the help of willpower. Moreover, the work begins to seem incredibly difficult and even overwhelming. As a result, a feeling of tension and uncertainty about one's own intellectual abilities inevitably arises.

Mental imbalance

Patients with asthenia often lose their temper, which is accompanied by irascibility, irritability, grouchiness, quarrelsomeness and pickiness. In this case, the mood of patients very often changes. For the patient to feel depressed and anxious, a completely insignificant reason is enough. Sensitivity increases, both joyful and sad events in the patient cause tears. This condition is almost always accompanied by sensitivity to sounds and bright lights.

Autonomic disorders

Asthenia is almost always accompanied by severe vegetative disorders. Most often, patients are diagnosed with disorders of the cardiovascular system: tachycardia, pressure fluctuations, pulse lability, painful or unpleasant sensations in the heart area, a feeling of heat when the temperature rises, increased sweating, chilliness. In some cases, asthenia is accompanied by a decrease in appetite, spastic constipation and pain in the intestines. Many patients also complain of headaches and heaviness in the head.

sleep disorder

Early signs of asthenia include difficulty falling asleep, waking up in the middle of the night, disturbing dreams, early awakenings, and difficulty falling asleep again. Usually patients do not feel rested after waking up. If asthenia worsens over time, patients after mental or physical exertion feel severe drowsiness during the day.

Diagnosis of asthenia

Diagnosis of asthenia often does not cause any difficulties for the doctor, since it is accompanied by severe symptoms. The easiest way is to identify asthenia that has arisen due to an illness, injury or stress. However, if asthenia appears against the background of another disease, then its main symptoms usually fade into the background and it becomes more difficult to diagnose it.

During the interview of the patient, the doctor collects in detail information about his well-being, sleep status, episodes of fatigue and irritability, and attitude to work. However, it is worth remembering that sometimes patients can exaggerate the intensity of the symptoms of the disease. In such cases, the neurologist must, in addition to the neurological examination, assess the emotional state of the patient and conduct a study of his mnestic sphere.

In most cases, asthenia occurs due to the development of the underlying disease of the patient. It is extremely important to determine which disease was the trigger for the development of asthenia. To do this, a neurologist can prescribe consultations for a patient with a cardiologist, gastroenterologist, gynecologist, nephrologist, pulmonologist, infectious disease specialist, oncologist, traumatologist, endocrinologist.

Diagnosis of asthenia also involves laboratory tests:

analysis of urine and blood;
determination of blood sugar levels;
coprogram;
blood chemistry.

PCR diagnostics and bacteriological examination are also carried out. According to indications, a neurologist may also prescribe instrumental studies:

gastroscopy;
Ultrasound of the abdominal organs;
duodenal sounding;
Ultrasound of the heart;
radiography or fluorography of the lungs;
brain MRI;
Ultrasound of the kidneys;
Ultrasound of the pelvic organs.

Asthenia treatment

The main goals of the treatment of asthenia will be to improve the quality of life of the patient, increase the level of his activity and productivity, reduce the manifestation of asthenia and its accompanying symptoms. Therapy depends on the clinical manifestations and etiology of the disease. If asthenia is secondary, the underlying disease should be treated initially. In the case of the reactive nature of asthenia, medical tactics should be aimed at correcting the factors that led to the breakdown.

If the causes of asthenia are stress, physical or psycho-emotional overwork, the doctor may advise you to normalize sleep and wakefulness, work and rest. Therapy of primary asthenia involves an integrated approach: psychotherapeutic techniques, physical training, drug therapy.

Non-drug therapy

One of the most priority methods of therapy for asthenia is physical activity. It has been proven that therapy with dosed physical training in combination with educational programs helps to improve the patient's well-being. Hydrotherapy has also proven its effectiveness: Charcot shower, swimming, contrast shower. According to the doctor's indications, massage, gymnastics, physiotherapy, acupuncture can also be prescribed.

In the treatment of asthenia, psychotherapeutic approaches are actively used. For example, symptomatic psychotherapy is aimed at improving the general health of the patient, eliminating feelings of fatigue and anxiety. This approach includes hypnosis, self-hypnosis, auto-training, suggestion. Person-oriented psychotherapy is also considered an effective method of treating asthenia.

Medical therapy

The question of the use of medications for the treatment of asthenia is still controversial. Studies have shown that at the moment doctors are actively using about 40 different means to eliminate the pathological condition. The list includes drugs from a variety of drug groups:

psychostimulants;
psychotropic (mainly antidepressants);
anti-infectious;
immunostimulating;
restorative;
nutritional supplements;
vitamin preparations.

The key drugs for the treatment of asthenia are antidepressants, the mechanism of action of which is aimed at increasing the metabolism of monoamines in the brain. For the treatment of asthenia, it is customary to use the following antidepressants: herbal derivatives, reversible MAO inhibitors, quadricyclic and atypical blood pressure, tricyclic blood pressure.

If asthenia is accompanied by panic disorders, sleep disturbances, anxiety, tension, tranquilizers or mild sedative herbal preparations may be prescribed to the patient. The combination of asthenia with phobic, hysterical, hypochondriacal manifestations requires the appointment of antidepressants with neuroleptics.

Many patients do not tolerate drugs that affect the central nervous system very well. That is why doctors recommend starting treatment with low doses. Non-specific drug therapy is also shown, which includes drugs that have an anti-stress effect, have antioxidant properties, and improve energy processes. It is also considered justified to prescribe vitamin complexes (especially B vitamins, vitamin C), macro- and microminerals (magnesium and calcium).

Asthenia in women is not fatigue and not a normal reaction of the body to many hours of mental work of the body - it is something more serious. Asthenic syndrome or impotence was introduced as early as 1780.

Asthenia in women, features:

With asthenia, the feeling of fatigue does not go away after rest. Many sick patients complain about it, not only our women, but also respected men of a still young age, it is also common among older people.

What can I say - the quality of life is declining, there is no strength, which means you can barely move your legs, intelligence is also almost at zero.

Signs of asthenia in women and its forms:

Medicine distinguishes three forms of asthenia:

Hypersthenic:

With this form of asthenia, women have increased anxiety.
Constant worry.
Great impatience, nervousness.
These symptoms are expressed even in neutral life situations.

Hyposthenic:

Here it's the other way around:
It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter.
Symptoms appear.
Tearfulness, distraction.
Performance is clearly reduced.
Pronounced muscle weakness.
The dream is broken.
Memory suffers, attention weakens.
There is no self-confidence.
Focusing on solving any problem is an impossible task.
Appetite is reduced.
Pronounced sexual dysfunction.
observed.

Irritability and weakness:

As if the middle between the above two forms of asthenia in women.
The woman is excited, but at the same time weak, exhausted.
There are sharp transitions from overt activity to complete apathy.

Causes of asthenia in women:

Why does such a state arise, where does it come from? Medicine has two answers to the question.

First reason:

Organic or secondary, occurs as a symptom of a serious illness in humans.
Appears in diseases of the mental, neurological direction or serious pathologies of the internal organs of a woman.

The second reason:

Functional or primary. It can calmly occur in a completely healthy woman under the influence of severe situations:

Serious illnesses (, pneumonia, operations, injuries).
Chronic stress: any grief, loss of loved ones, constant overwork, depression.
Bad habits: passion for a glass, cigarettes, drugs.

Failure of the adjusted biological clock necessary to regulate the secretion of certain hormones during the day. After all, the control of temperature, pressure in the vessels, the state of wakefulness, rest greatly affect the woman's appetite and her performance.
The biological clock is disturbed when flying long distances, when a woman works at night, with a constant change in hours of activity and sleep.

You can not discount the intake of certain drugs that are treated by women: drugs to reduce pressure, sleeping pills, tranquilizers. It is necessary to identify which of the drugs is the possible culprit of this condition.

Asthenia can appear with improper nutrition without a balance of the necessary substances. Watch your table: eat proteins, carbohydrates, fats, fiber, vitamins, greens in sufficient quantities.

Diagnosis of asthenia in women:

In this condition, a visit to the doctor is necessary, he should understand you simply or have asthenia.
You should already know the difference - it is impossible to rest with asthenia.
Specialists in the arsenal have special tables for assessing the patient's condition.
They will determine the type of asthenia, its stage, and also establish the dynamics of the disorder.
Treatment will be prescribed when the picture of the disease is clear.

What we can do ourselves to treat asthenia in women:

Naturally, with its organic form, it is necessary first of all to treat the underlying disease (that is, the primary cause is your disease).
With its elimination, asthenia will pass.
Functional asthenia is reversible.

What to look for:

Lifestyle: You should have a good rest - definitely. The main thing is to sleep at night. Without it, nowhere.
Moderate physical education: many wrinkle their noses “here’s another recipe found, we’d like a pill.” Many people do not appreciate the impact of physical education on health. It is huge. This is your life, health, mood, attractiveness, charm. And much more.
At the same time, fresh air is important, it is not necessary to run outside, open the window, just ventilate the room. Count the pulse, it is not necessary to strain strongly. A long load with a small intensity is useful.
Do not sit at home sitting - go to visit, movies, see paintings in galleries, maybe you are interested in museums or visiting libraries. You need activity, otherwise you won’t be able to cope with the problem.
Eat plenty of fruits that are healthy fresh. Vegetables should be constantly on the table, greens.
Forget about smoking and alcohol, I'm not talking about drugs.
Less strong tea, coffee.
The amino acid tryptophan will help, it is the precursor of the "hormone of happiness" - serotonin. Look for it in cheeses, bran, bananas, turkey. There is a dietary supplement "Tryptophan" from the company "Evalar".
In the evenings, lie in a bath with the addition of sea salt. They tone up, like a contrast shower.

Therapeutic acupressure massage of the face helps a lot:

Press the points firmly, but without pain.

Inner corner of the eye:

Press immediately on both sides, symmetrically.

Eyebrows: outer edge, middle of the eyebrow, inner edge:

Massage alternately on both sides.

Between the eyebrows a convex tubercle:

Strictly above the nose.

Under the pupil of the eye - the distance from the lower eyelid 0.5 cm:

Apply pressure under both eyes at the same time.

Nose tip:

Rub it with your middle finger.
Earlobes:
Rub with index finger and thumb at the same time.

Many are interested in whether there are cures for asthenia. I'll upset you - no. There is no special drug to drink and run.

Everything helps in a complex. Nutrition, movement, fighting depression, the atmosphere at work, relationships at home, sports, your mood. One word - a healthy way of life without rush work and work for days, without grief and special problems.

General treatment of asthenia in women:

Taking vitamins along with minerals.
With a decline in strength, adaptogens (Rhodiola rosea, zamaniha, Manchurian aralia). With their use, insomnia worsens - keep this in mind. Hypertension patients should be taken with caution - increase the pressure.
With a constant violation of night rest, soothing herbal preparations, as prescribed by a doctor for a short time, sleeping pills.
If often, memory fails - nootropic drugs.
If you do not feel better after self-treatment, depression may have taken over the body. It’s hard to cope with it on your own - go to a neurologist, he will help.
In the presence of many symptoms, different, incompatible drugs are prescribed - the situation is aggravated. In such a situation with prescriptions, you need to contact a therapist, he will figure out which drugs should not be taken at the same time.

Asthenia in older women:

In older people who no longer work or are still working, functional asthenia is observed quite often. The living conditions at this time are very conducive to this.
Living conditions force one to be completely helpless in the face of the axiom of life: go up to the fifth floor as you like, when your legs hurt, you have no patience.
Take care of your spouse who is seriously ill, but you can’t and don’t understand anything, you won’t get help.
Constant worries about their children, then grandchildren will bring any of us to depression.
Our chronic sores, resentment of injustice, perhaps complete loneliness - is this not fertile ground for asthenia.
If you do not have pathological depression, which doctors treat for a long time and hard, ask for help? participation of loved ones.
If this is impossible or simply absent, get yourself a friend - an animal: a cat, a parrot, a dog.
A living being for women is a big responsibility. It will make you smile, move actively, you will also receive sincere love from them.
The prognosis for recovery from asthenia in women is quite favorable, provided that you yourself make daily efforts to recover.

Have an active morning, relax in the afternoon and enjoy communication in the evenings!

Glad to see you always on my site!

… asthenia significantly reduces the quality of life of patients, leading to persistent and severe maladjustment.

Introduction. Asthenia, or asthenic syndrome, is one of the most common syndromes in the clinical practice of any doctor, since the proportion of complaints associated with it is up to 60%. Asthenia is observed in all categories of the population and is one of the disasters of our time, since it affects the physical and intellectual abilities of a person, disrupting everyday life and reducing its quality.

The symptoms of asthenia, even if not very threatening at first glance, really worsen the quality of life of patients. Asthenic disorders often lead to a significant decrease in the working capacity of patients, disrupt their habitual life, and sometimes act as a background against which other more severe mental and somatic disorders are formed. Therefore, it is extremely important to carry out a clear differential diagnosis of asthenia and select the appropriate treatment, considering the pathogenetic mechanisms of its development.

Functional asthenia(primary, reactive) is an independent clinical unit (not associated with specific organic diseases), the main manifestation of which is asthenic syndrome, which occurs in initially healthy people under the influence of various factors and is characterized by fundamental reversibility, as it arises as a result of or as a component of time-limited or curable pathological conditions.

For example, asthenia after infectious diseases, somatic diseases (myocardial infarction, diabetes, etc.), major operations, childbirth (that is, asthenia that occurs during the recovery period after a somatic disease). Also, people with significant physical and mental (intellectual) stress, people whose professions require increased attention, associated with emotional stress, work in shifts, are also susceptible to the development of asthenia. Also, long journeys with a change in time zones and a violation of the function of the biological clock (biological rhythms) cause the development of asthenia. Functional asthenia can also be associated with mental disorders (depression, anxiety).

Thus, the classification of functional (reactive) asthenia is as follows: (1 ) acute functional asthenia - overload at work, stress, change of time zones; ( 2 ) chronic functional asthenia - postinfectious, postpartum, postoperative, weight loss; ( 3 ) psychiatric functional asthenia - depression, anxiety, insomnia.

The phenomenology of functional asthenia is characterized, first of all, emotional-hyperesthetic weakness, in which increased fatigue (the basic, leading symptom of asthenic syndrome) and affective lability (the main symptom) are combined with intolerance to minor emotional stress and hyperesthesia (an optional symptom reflecting the interest of the sphere of sensations). Hyperesthesia is so pronounced that even soft voices, ordinary light, etc. irritate and destabilize the patient. The dominance in the clinical picture of the interest of the sphere of sensations, manifested in the form of hyperesthesia, gives optional symptoms (within the asthenic syndrome) nosological specificity, which allows this disorder to be defined as functional asthenia.

The pivotal moment of the phenomenon of functional asthenia is a change in the sphere of motivation, because at the moment of change in motivation, an energy component is released, which allows the individual to dramatically change the type of behavior and orientation in accordance with the goal. That is, motivation is an expression of readiness to mobilize the necessary energy resources aimed at achieving the goal.

At the cerebral level, the mechanisms of motivation are primarily associated with the activity of the limbic-reticular complex (the first functional block is the energy one, or the block for regulating levels of brain activity), which regulates adaptive behavior in response to any kind of stress. It is the limbic system that is associated with the regulation of the autonomic nervous system, visceral activity, emotions, motivation, sleep and behavior. And the reticular formation of the brain stem ensures the maintenance of the level of attention, perception, wakefulness and sleep, general muscle activity, autonomic regulation, takes part in the regulation of motor and sensory functions.

Often with somatic diseases, physical and mental stress, overload and depletion of the first functional (energy) block occurs, that is, decompensation of the limbic-reticular complex. A manifestation of these processes is a secondary dysfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system, which is a key neurohormonal system involved in the implementation of adaptation to stress factors and preventing the development of the syndrome of atony (dystonia) of the reticular formation of the brain stem.

It is believed that asthenia is the equivalent of an "emergency brake" that prevents a complete loss of performance; otherwise, asthenia, apparently, forms a signal of an overload of the reticular activating system and poor management of the body's energy resources. In this context, asthenia is considered as a universal reaction of the body to any condition that threatens to deplete energy processes (whether asthenia caused by organic causes or functional ones), that is, asthenia is an alarm signal that informs the individual about the need for a temporary cessation of mental or physical activity.

Treatment. In asthenic conditions of any origin, it is advisable to start treatment with psychohygienic measures. General recommendations for patients should include: optimization of work and rest regimen (lifestyle changes); the introduction of tonic physical activity; stopping contact with possible toxic chemicals, avoiding alcohol; optimizing the diet: increasing the share of products - sources of proteins (meat, soybeans, legumes); foods rich in carbohydrates, B vitamins (eggs, liver) and tryptophan (wholemeal bread, cheese, bananas, turkey meat); the introduction of foods with pronounced vitamin properties (blackcurrant, rose hips, sea buckthorn, chokeberry, citrus fruits, apples, kiwi, strawberries, various vegetable salads, fruit juices and vitamin teas).

Drug therapy of asthenic syndrome includes the use of anti-asthenic drugs such as salbutiamine (enerion), adamantylphenylamine (ladasten) and, if necessary, nootropic drugs with anti-asthenic and / or psychostimulant effects: deanol aceglumate (demanol, nooklerin), idebenone (neuromet, noben), phenotropil (having a pronounced psychostimulating effect). Vitamin-mineral complexes, adaptogens of plant origin are also prescribed, in case of sleep disorders and irritability, sleeping pills or sedatives are prescribed.