Forms of asthenic syndrome

According to the classification, asthenia can be reactive, primary and secondary.

  1. Reactive asthenia.

Reactive asthenia is a protective reaction that develops in a virtually healthy person. This is due to a certain influence of the so-called physical and psychophysiological factors (new job, flights and rapid changes in climatic conditions).

Reactive asthenia is manifested in the following cases:

  • sleep disturbances and wakefulness in people who work night shifts;
  • frequent nervous tension, emotional stress in simultaneous interpreters, air traffic controllers;
  • long responsible work without physical rest and vacations;
  • recovery after surgery.

In recent years, the number of people experiencing long-term negative effects of stress has increased. As a result, people’s adaptive capacity decreases and the following symptoms appear:

  • severe fatigue;
  • rapid fatigue after minimal loads;
  • muscle pain;
  • inability to relax;
  • feeling of muscle weakness;
  • reduction of endurance;
  • disturbance of attention;
  • decreased ability to concentrate;
  • impaired memory and reaction speed;
  • increased anxiety.

Of great importance are the initial (premorbid) personality traits, which in asthenia can be manifested by the appearance of obsessive-compulsive disorder of varying severity.

An important feature of reactive asthenia is its reversibility. Reactive asthenia is characterized by a clear association with the provoking factor and nonspecificity.

  1. Primary (functional asthenia).

Primary asthenia is an independent disease, this includes psychogenic and constitutional asthenic disorders. People with constitutional asthenia have the following features:

  • underweight;
  • high;
  • elongated limbs;
  • often have various heart pathologies;
  • suffer from hypotension.

Parental upbringing is of great importance in the development of asthenia:

  • orientation by parents to great achievements with objectively limited resources (since childhood);
  • inadequate perception of the outward things or incorrect distribution of forces.

All the above factors lead to a motivational failure.

  1. Secondary asthenia.

Secondary asthenia is a clinical symptom; its main cause is various somatic and mental illnesses. It accompanies many infectious, cardiopulmonary and endocrine-metabolic diseases.

Causes of secondary asthenia include various iatrogenic factors, such as hypnotics and antihypertensives, antidepressants, and so on. In some cases, asthenia may be the result of prolonged exposure to occupational hazards.

Rest and isolation from external stimuli is the most natural step in any asthenia. Often this allows you to completely get rid of the asthenic condition.

If your condition does not improve, it may be a manifestation of the disease. In this case, for recovery you will need the help of a doctor to identify the causes of this condition.