Although muscle aches and weakness are generally harmless, this condition shouldn’t be taken lightly. The reason is that the aches and the feeling of weakness in the body can indicate the presence of certain diseases, especially if accompanied by other symptoms.
Causes of muscle aches and weakness
Muscle aches and weakness can occur for various reasons. In most cases, this condition is harmless and easy to treat. However, sometimes muscle aches and weakness can be caused by a more serious medical condition.
Some of the possible causes of muscle aches and weakness are as follows.
Fibromyalgia is a celestial muscle disease characterized by pain and weakness throughout the body. Quotes Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this condition is usually accompanied by fatigue, sleep disturbances, memory problems, and stiffness in the muscles and joints.
Fibromyalgia can be caused by sleep disturbances, chemical disorders in the brain, and a history of injury, infection, surgery, or traumatic event.
Some viral or bacterial infections can cause disease accompanied by symptoms of muscle aches and weakness. Some types of illnesses caused by bacteria or viruses include the flu and the common cold.
When infection occurs, the immune system produces white blood cells to fight the infection. This can lead to inflammation that makes the muscles in the body feel sore and stiff.
3. Side effects of drugs
Some medications, such as statins and blood pressure medications, have side effects that can make you feel sick, weak, and tired. This condition usually goes away after stopping the drug.
Hypokalemia is a condition in which potassium levels are low in the blood. Quoting the diaries Hypokalemia: A Practical Approach to Diagnosis and Treatment by Mohammad Tinawi, this condition is caused by a decrease in potassium intake and absorption in the body or a shift in potassium from extracellular to intracellular.
Stress is one of the factors that can cause muscle tension and weaken the immune system. This can cause muscle stiffness and affect the body’s response to inflammation and infection.
Dehydration or lack of fluid in the body decreases blood volume and lowers blood pressure. This condition often causes the body to feel weak and sore.
Lack of sleep can make the body feel weak and helpless. Over time, this condition can cause fatigue and make the body feel sore.
Quoting the diaries The association between sleep and pain: an update and a path to follow by Patrick H. Finan, et al., lack of sleep also affects the body’s ability to repair tissues and cells. When the body doesn’t have enough time to repair and recover, this condition can trigger pain in the body.
In addition to the various conditions mentioned above, other causes of muscle aches and weakness are symptoms of anemia (lack of blood), pneumonia, rheumatic diseases, autoimmune diseases.
Medicines for muscle aches and weakness
In most cases, muscle aches and weakness will improve on their own after complete rest by consuming enough fluids and avoiding the triggers of this condition.
Paracetamol is a drug used to treat mild to moderate pain in the body. This drug is sold over the counter at the pharmacy without a prescription.
Quoting the diaries Paracetamol: A Review of Guideline Recommendations of Ulderico Freo, paracetamol works by inhibiting the formation of prostaglandins, substances released by the body in reaction to tissue damage or infections that cause pain, fever and inflammation.
Ibuprofen is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) used to treat fever and relieve pain from a variety of conditions, including muscle aches and weakness.
This drug works by slowing the formation of prostaglandins. Additionally, this drug also blocks the cyclooxygenase (COX) enzyme, which helps create prostaglandins.
Just like ibuprofen, aspirin is an effective pain reliever drug for treating mild to moderate pain, reducing fever, and reducing inflammation in the body that can cause symptoms of weakness and aches.
Naproxen is a drug used to reduce fever, pain, swelling and redness due to inflammation. This drug can help relieve symptoms of accompanying muscle aches and weakness.
One cause of muscle aches and weakness is lack of blood or anemia. This condition can be overcome by taking supplements that increase blood. Some blood supplements that can be consumed are Sangobion and Hufabion.
This article was reviewed by Dr. Mikhael Josiah, BMedSci, PGCert, DTM & H.
