Share:
Muscle weakness - causes, symptoms and therapy
contents
- Disturbed nerve impulses
- The thymus
- symptoms
- causes
- magnesium deficiency
- prevention
- diagnosis
- Therapy for muscle weakness
- Treatment of the basic disease
- physiotherapy
- The Lambert-Eaton syndrome
- drugs
Disturbed nerve impulses
Do you suffer from muscle weakness? Then the transmission of the signals from the nerve to the muscle does not work as it should.
Normally, acetylcholine (ACh) is released when a nerve impulse reaches the nerve end. The substance attaches to Ach receptors in the muscle. As a result, the muscle contracts. Then the ACh is released from the receptors, the cholinesterase breaks down the transmitter substance, and the nerve endings take it up. ACh builds up again and the process repeats itself.
With muscle weakness, you can have problems getting out of bed, climbing stairs or getting the laundry out of the machine. Picture: nandyphotos - fotolia Myasthenia gravis produces antibodies that bind to the receptor in the muscle, as well as the transmitter substance. However, these antibodies can not trigger contraction of the muscle, but block the receptors for the ACh.
The ACh is broken down, but the antibodies remain. Result: The strength of the muscles decreases. When the ACh rebuilds, the muscles can work fully again.
The thymus
The thymus is an organ of the immune system behind the sternum. Muscle weakness is often associated with disorders of the thymus. After all, 15% of those suffering from muscle weakness have tumors on the thymus, called thymones.
symptoms
Typical is a muscle weakness, which becomes stronger in the evening and then passes - without pain. An ocular myasthenia is widespread, in which the affected persons see double images or hang an eyelid down.
Heavier weighs a generalized myasthenia. Here, all the muscles of the skeleton can be involved, especially the muscles on the arms and legs, but also the muscles that make speaking and swallowing possible.
Those who suffer from it have problems getting out of bed, climbing stairs or getting the laundry out of the machine.
If myasthenia affects the pharynx or respiratory muscles, it causes problems with chewing, frequent ingestion and mumbling, a flat voice, a slight cough, or hasty breathing during speech. In case of emergency, respiratory paralysis and severe dysphagia may occur.
The symptoms are very different: some just feel a little weaker than usual, others are as powerless as if they were paralyzed.
A general muscular weakness manifests as either permanent laxity or very fast fatigue during physical work.
The specific symptoms refer to the cause. If the myasthenia suddenly occurs, then there is probably an acute infection or a stroke. Muscle weakness, which slows down, suggests another suspicion: mineral deficiency, rheumatic diseases or side effects of medication. On the other hand, when the symptoms get worse and stronger, this indicates that there are genetic disorders of the muscles or diseases of the metabolism.
Symptoms of muscle weakness are: muscle tremors, muscle aches, paralysis, gait disturbances, blurred vision, speech, swallowing and consciousness disorders.
causes
Muscle weakness can have just as harmless causes as life-threatening ones. A muscular weakness can have many causes. Among the harmless triggers include an unhealthy diet and consequent mineral deficiency, lack of exercise or age.
One cause could be vitamin B 12 deficiency. In addition, there are infections, diseases of the nervous system and the muscles or a stroke as well as genetic diseases and mental disorders.
The most common cause is an overload of the muscles, the aching muscles or a torn muscle.
Diseases of the nerves or muscles that cause muscle weakness are muscle inflammation, muscle wasting, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, severe muscle weakness, damaged nerves in diabetics and alcoholics, polio, Lyme disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, herniated disc, stroke, soft tissue rheumatism, Down syndrome, meningitis, encephalitis , Brain and spinal cord tumor.
There are also diseases that do not specifically affect the nerves or muscles: infectious diseases such as flu, anemia, hypothyroidism, thrombosis, depression.
magnesium deficiency
Magnesium is necessary for the electrolysis household, and if this does not work, the muscles can not work. When the body lacks magnesium, it causes muscle weakness.
Magnesium deficiency can lead to calf cramps. Image: Henrie - fotolia An important symptom of magnesium deficiency is muscle cramps that accompany muscle weakness. They usually occur at night, which then further lowers the already low magnesium level. Because magnesium is needed to relax muscles, they cramp when there is not enough of it.
prevention
If there is no serious underlying disease, you can prevent muscle weakness with simple means: Reduce your cigarette and alcohol consumption and sleep well. If you are already suffering from muscle weakness, strength training helps to build muscle.
Chronic diseases such as multiple sclerosis can not be controlled by prevention. Nevertheless, a healthy diet helps to limit muscle weakness.
If myasthenia is too much stress on the muscles, recovery will help. Take regular breaks.
diagnosis
If you can not explain your weakness, for example, as a result of exercise, hard physical work or bed rest, then you should definitely go to a doctor because a serious condition can express itself. If the symptoms suddenly start, you should immediately go to hospital - it could be a stroke.
The doctor first asks you about the medical history, looks at you, scans you, listens you, taps you and examines the vital functions. If there is a suspicion of a basic disease, follow specific tests to detect this disease.
The doctor asks when the muscle weakness first appeared and at what times it appears, which muscles are affected, whether it came suddenly or gradually, whether you can remember a possible trigger as symptoms of excessive weight training.
Also interested in the diagnosis of whether you are suffering from pre-existing or concomitant diseases, whether you have undergone surgery or accidents, whether her family had similar symptoms.
Do you have allergic reactions to certain things, do you take medication, are you exposed to much physical or mental stress at work? Do you move around, eat well enough, sleep enough, drink plenty of coffee, smoke, take alcohol or drugs? All this is important to create a disease picture.
The doctor now uses his own strength to test how strong the patient's individual muscles are, for example by bending his arm in the elbow. Whether the muscle weakness is dependent on stress, can be checked by the patient, for example, repeatedly crumpled paper together.
Exercises like getting up from a squat, writing, standing or walking show if the skeletal muscles are disturbed.
The doctor also checks nerve functions, reflexes, touch and movement. In addition, in case of suspected specific diseases comes a blood test, a measurement of the nerve conduction velocity by the doctor electrically stimulates the nerves, a measurement of the muscle flows, which proves whether the muscles are intact, so it is a nerve problem. Tissue samples and gene examinations, as well as computed tomography may be added.
Therapy for muscle weakness
In the case of basic diseases, these must be tackled. The specialist removes, for example, thymomas in surgery or radiotherapy.
Medications that slow down the immune system prevent antibodies from forming. These include corticosteroids with azathioprine. If the muscle weakness is "only" a symptom, then it is still advisable to alleviate this symptom. Pyridostigmine and neostigmine stop the breakdown of ACh between muscle and nerve. Plasmapheresis cleans the blood of antibodies.
Treatment of the basic disease
This is dependent on the disease. In herniated disc surgery is announced, in case of mineral deficiency, for example, an iron or vitamin preparation. In case of muscle inflammation anti-inflammatory drugs should be used.
Hereditary muscle diseases usually can not fight against the cause. Here, the treatment is used to relieve muscle weakness itself.
physiotherapy
Physiotherapy accompanies all therapies of muscle weakness, regardless of the cause. Massages, heat treatments and alternating baths also improve the condition of the muscles.
Physiotherapy helps to relieve the symptoms by weakening the muscles. Picture: Picture-Factory-fotolia The Lambert-Eaton syndrome
The Lambert-Eaton syndrome is caused by antibodies at the nerve end that prevent the release of ACh.
It is not an independent disease, but a concomitant of cancer, especially bronchial tumors. Often the muscle weakness on the legs shows. As a drug, 3,4-diaminopyridine has proven successful.
drugs
Those who suffer from muscle weakness should check whether they are taking medications that increase their discomfort. These include aminoglycosides, beta-blockers, dehydrators and muscle relaxants. (Dr. Utz Anhalt)