Weakness and sweating and other symptoms: fever, dizziness, palpitations

Very often, when we feel weak, we are in no hurry to consult a doctor, associating this symptom with banal fatigue. But when a full rest does not bring the necessary relief, it is no longer about fatigue, but about something else. And only a specialist can figure this out after carrying out certain diagnostic measures.

The same goes for sweating. No one is surprised by wet armpits during sports or stress. And even though they look unsightly, you understand that this is temporary. You just need to rest and calm down and sweating will return to normal.

And if not? A person is calm, and the armpits, face, hands or other parts of the body suddenly become wet. This is already an alarming symptom, especially if you notice it regularly.

General and muscular weakness and sweating can be caused by overfatigue, infectious inflammatory diseases, nervous, endocrine, gastrointestinal, oncological and other pathologies. That is, these symptoms cannot be called specific in any way, which means there is no point in making a diagnosis based on them. It is another matter if other symptoms are added to this symptom complex. Here the circle of "suspects" narrows somewhat, which facilitates diagnostic measures and reduces their number.

Without claiming to be a diagnostician, we will nevertheless try to understand the issue of when weakness and sweating are symptoms of a disease and what kind of disorders in the body can be discussed with various combinations of symptoms.

Temperature

Weakness, sweating, and general loss of strength have been experienced by anyone who has ever suffered from a cold or respiratory disease, when the nose was stuffy, the throat hurt, and the temperature rose to very high levels. It must be said that the thermoregulation mechanism works not only in the case of changes in the ambient temperature, but also with fluctuations in the body's own temperature. It is clear that an increase in temperature to subfebrile values (about 37-38 degrees) and more will be accompanied by thermoregulatory sweating. And this is good, because in this way the body does not allow the body temperature to rise to critical values.

The appearance of a large amount of sweat during illness is necessary to reduce the temperature, therefore the sweating process is stimulated by various medicinal (antipyretic) and folk (drinking plenty of fluids, warm tea with lemon or raspberries) remedies.

Why does weakness appear? This is a response to the large expenditure of the body's own energy to fight the disease, i.e. to the work of the immune system. Therefore, during illness it is so important to receive a sufficient amount of vitamins and energy-rich substances (glucose, fats).

Sore throat, night sweats, low-grade fever

Weakness, sore throat and sweating accompanied by a runny nose, headaches, high temperature, cough are most often an indicator of a respiratory viral infection and haunt a person during the illness. But after ARVI, flu, sore throat caused by viruses, and other similar diseases, weakness and sweating may remain, which against the background of low temperature indicates only a high degree of weakening of the body.

Subfebrile temperature, weakness and night sweats are considered common symptoms of infectious diseases. For example, they are characteristic of the clinical picture of tuberculosis. But sometimes a long-term increase in temperature is associated not with a specific disease, but with the presence of a chronic infectious-inflammatory process of various localizations in the body (sinusitis, pancreatitis, gastritis, cholecystitis, etc.).

True, sometimes even such serious pathologies as acute respiratory viral infections, flu, tonsillitis, pneumonia can occur without a fever, which does not at all entail the absence of weakness and sweating. Usually, the absence of a fever only indicates low immunity and loss of strength, which is always accompanied by weakness. Sweating also indicates a loss of strength, especially when it occurs at night.

But weakness and sweating against the background of elevated temperature can be a signal of not only cold pathologies. They can indicate the presence of an infectious and inflammatory process inside the body associated with bacteria, viruses, or fungi. Symptoms will indicate that the body is fighting pathogens that destroy its cells and poison it with the products of their vital activity.

Weakness and sweating at night can also have several causes. We have already talked about acute retroviral infection, but this is not the only pathology in which hyperhidrosis is observed at night.

Night sweats and weakness are typical of hormonal imbalance (often affects teenagers, pregnant women, and women during menopause), generalized oncological pathologies and cancer with metastases (sweat can be released intensively during pain attacks during the day or at night), tuberculosis, obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, HIV infection, reflux disease, hypoglycemia in diabetes, hyperthyroidism. However, if such a phenomenon is observed in isolated cases, its cause is most likely a nightmare or stuffiness in the room.

Night sweats and weakness against the background of increased temperature are also characteristic of some oncological pathologies of the lymphatic system. For example, these symptoms are specific to Hodgkin's lymphoma. But at the same time, a change in the size of the lymph nodes is also noted.

A slight increase in temperature, weakness and sweating can be observed against the background of overheating of the body due to high ambient temperatures, taking muscle relaxants and atropine-like substances, physical overexertion, stressful situations.

Rapid fatigue, dizziness, palpitations

Sometimes weakness, sweating and fatigue accompany cardiovascular pathologies. In addition, such symptoms as pain in the heart area, nausea (usually with pressure fluctuations), dizziness may appear. For example, sweating, dizziness and weakness are common symptoms of vegetative-vascular dystonia (VVD). But various endocrine pathologies, as well as infectious diseases caused by viruses and bacteria, cannot be ruled out. It should be noted that with ARVI, sweating is observed mainly in the evening and at night.

It is important to understand that rapid fatigue is considered one of the symptoms of weakness, and most often occurs due to overwork of the body. But overwork can be caused by both stressful situations or physical factors (regular exercise, heavy physical labor), and pathological causes (for example, chronic diseases that lead to exhaustion of a person's strength).

Weakness, sweating and increased heart rate against the background of a slightly elevated temperature may indicate both a viral pathology and problems with the cardiovascular system, especially when it comes to inflammatory pathologies (myocarditis, pericarditis, etc.).

Severe weakness and sweating are characteristic of VSD, a drop or increase in blood pressure, and, in general, of vascular pathologies. Very often, vegetative disorders are observed against the background of long-lasting subfebrile temperatures (subfebrilet), and it seems that a latent viral or bacterial infection is acting in the body.

Sudden weakness and cold sweat may occur with a sudden change in body position. Nausea and darkening of the vision may also occur.

Cough

Dizziness, sweating, coughing and weakness are considered to be symptoms of respiratory system pathologies. Bronchitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis and some other pathologies can manifest themselves in this way. In this case, we are talking about infectious and cold cough. A strong cough in itself causes muscle tension and sweating, a deep breath leads to dizziness, and the expenditure of energy to fight the disease leads to weakness.

By the way, a cough does not necessarily have to be a cold. A similar symptom can sometimes be observed with allergies, which exhaust the body no less than other chronic diseases, so it can be accompanied by weakness and sweating when exerting forces. After all, coughing also requires strength.

But there is also such a thing as a cardiac cough, which is evidence of blood stagnation in the lungs. But congestive phenomena are considered a consequence of heart failure, leading to a weakening of the blood flow. It should be said that in addition to a dry cough, with heart problems, frequent complaints are the same weakness and sweating, which can be observed at the very beginning of the disease.

[ 1 ], [ 2 ], [ 3 ]

Nausea

A combination of symptoms such as nausea, dizziness, weakness and sweating is typical for acute viral diseases and intoxications of various origins. But viral pathologies are most often accompanied by a runny nose, cough, sore throat and headache, pain in the eyes, and intoxications, depending on what caused the poisoning, are fraught with digestive disorders, respiratory, cardiovascular and neurological disorders. If it is not a cold or poisoning, then perhaps we are talking about a banal allergy, which is also characterized by the symptoms described above.

By the way, nausea, weakness and sweating can also indicate inflammatory pathologies of the digestive organs, occurring with metabolic disorders. And if at the same time there are also "flies" in front of the eyes, noise in the ears or confusion, dizziness, the cause of this condition is probably a drop in blood pressure. With high blood pressure, nausea, weakness and hyperhidrosis can be accompanied by hot flashes to the face, hyperemia of the skin, severe headaches.

But a new life can also announce itself with the same symptoms. Moreover, it can equally be about helminthiasis and pregnancy. True, in the latter case, attacks of nausea and vomiting torment the woman mainly due to the smell of food (toxicosis).

Weakness, hyperhidrosis and nausea may also indicate food or chemical poisoning. In the first case, symptoms are often accompanied by diarrhea and vomiting, in the second case - problems with the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, headaches, disorientation and other neurological disorders.

Headaches, shortness of breath

Headache, sweating and weakness are often symptoms of circulatory disorders in the brain vessels and malfunction of the autonomic nervous system. These same symptoms can be observed in hypo- and hyperthyroidism, diabetes and other endocrine pathologies.

But sometimes such symptoms are caused by hormonal imbalance at different age periods (in adolescence during puberty, in young age during pregnancy, in middle and old age during menopause) or mild intoxication with chemicals.

When talking about symptoms such as weakness, shortness of breath and sweating, they mainly suspect respiratory or cardiovascular pathologies. In respiratory diseases, a dry or wet cough, rhinitis, wheezing, fever, and chest discomfort often join the general picture of the disease.

Cardiovascular diseases can also be accompanied by such symptoms, but the pain behind the breastbone will be squeezing or sharp, the temperature will rise slightly and not always, and the cough with heart failure can be dry or with the release of blood.

But it is important to understand that shortness of breath, as one of the symptoms of respiratory failure, can also be present in cases of chemical poisoning, in which sweating and weakness are considered a common symptom.

Tremors of the body and limbs, muscle weakness and pain

Of interest is also such a combination of symptoms as weakness, sweating and trembling in the body. Most often, such symptoms are observed with strong excitement. But an identical picture also accompanies attacks of hysteria, which are also accompanied by overly expressive laughter, anger, tears, intermittent breathing, sobbing, fainting, etc.

Strong and prolonged negative experiences can cause a mental disorder called depression. In this case, the body gradually loses the strength to live and fight, which indicates physical and nervous exhaustion. At the same time, tremors and sweating are not specific symptoms of depression, but with nervous or physical stress they can make themselves known.

Tremors of the hands, feet, head and regularly recurring “causeless” trembling throughout the body against the background of weakness and sweating are characteristic of:

• some hereditary disorders (in which case symptoms may appear simultaneously or separately),
• Parkinsonism (tremors of different parts of the body can be observed even in a calm state),
• Wilson's disease (severe hyperhidrosis, tremor mainly during motor reactions),
• individual vascular disorders,
• brainstem lesions,
• multiple sclerosis,
• hyperthyroidism (in this case, tremors of the limbs are one of the first symptoms, hyperhidrosis is pronounced, weakness is often felt throughout the body),
• hypoglycemia (low levels of sugar, one of the main sources of energy, which is also responsible for tissue respiration),
• some craniocerebral injuries accompanied by neurological symptoms (in this case, there is also lethargy, weakness in the arms, sweating when moving, rapid fatigue, disorientation in space, especially with closed eyes),
• food, chemical and drug poisoning (hand tremors, profuse sweating, general weakness),
• encephalitis (attack-like tremors in the hands accompanied by paresthesia, muscle pain, sweating and weakness),
• emotional lability (tremors are not intense but constant, hyperhidrosis is weakly expressed, weakness, fatigue, loss of appetite, sleep disturbances, alternating episodes of apathy and excitement are also characteristic).

Tremor of the hands and body, sweating and weakness can be symptoms of severe physical overexertion and fatigue. And sometimes such symptoms are caused by taking medications in large doses, overdosing on medications, uncontrolled intake of medications (additional symptoms: nausea and vomiting, water-salt imbalance), while the tremor is small and irregular.

Weakness in the legs

Weakness in the legs and sweating can also have a great many different causes. Such symptoms can be observed against the background of a weakened body with respiratory infections of both viral and bacterial nature, changes in blood pressure, brain tumors, endocrine pathologies (diabetes, obesity, etc.). An identical situation occurs with strong psycho-emotional stress, as a result of worries, experiences, stress.

The cause of such symptoms may be an inflammatory process in the body, the onset of an infectious pathology, intoxication and dehydration of the body, iron deficiency conditions, neurological disorders.

But weakness in the legs against the background of sweating can also occur when a person has been on a low-protein diet for a long time or takes medications in large doses. Women can also complain that sweating has increased and their legs have become weak during menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause, which is associated with hormonal changes in the body.

If weakness in the legs and hyperhidrosis are combined with nausea and dizziness, the cause may be a malfunction of the vestibular system, food or chemical poisoning, taking medications on an empty stomach, a drop in blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia), hunger, etc. But sometimes such symptoms can be observed with a sharp change in body position (for example, when you get out of bed abruptly), immediately after visiting extreme attractions, during a trip on land or sea transport or going up in an elevator.

If weakness is felt only in one leg, then most likely we are dealing with a neurological or vascular pathology of the spinal cord and lower extremities, but we cannot exclude a circulatory disorder in the brain.

Sweating combined with weakness of the legs can torment a person in hot weather, so in the summer you will not surprise anyone with such symptoms. With intense physical exertion, such symptoms are also a variant of the norm. But when sweating increases in cool weather against the background of physical and mental rest, plus muscle weakness of the legs is added to this, this is already a reason to consult a doctor. It is important to understand that the symptoms do not necessarily have to be related to each other, they can have completely different causes, so the diagnosis can consist of two or three definitions.

Dry mouth and thirst

When dry mouth, weakness and sweating appear, it is also unlikely that a clear diagnosis will be made right away, because the feeling of dryness of the oral mucosa with the development of thirst and the appearance of cracks in the lips can indicate both pathological causes and temporary conditions that do not require drug treatment.

A decrease in saliva production may be a consequence of taking various medications (such a symptom will be noted in the instructions for the drug as a side effect of the drug), and weakness and sweating in this case may be manifestations of the disease for which the medication is taken.

A feeling of weakness and hyperhidrosis often haunt women during menopause. But a decrease in the activity of the salivary glands during this period is also not uncommon, which is associated with age-related and hormonal changes.

What can I say, this same symptom complex has tormented literally each of us more than once in hot weather, when dry mouth and thirst were caused by increased sweating itself, as a result of which the body loses water reserves. And weakness appears due to hypoxia, because under the influence of high temperatures the blood becomes thicker, runs more slowly through the vessels and supplies tissues with oxygen worse. There is nothing surprising or pathological about this.

But do not relax, dry mouth, weakness and sweating can also be symptoms of a certain pathology, which requires special attention. For example, such symptoms are often observed in infectious pathologies accompanied by fever (hyperthermia), diarrhea, vomiting. We are talking not only about respiratory diseases (ARI, ARI, tonsillitis, etc.), but also about infectious intestinal diseases (dysbacteriosis, dysentery, etc.).

Dry mouth, along with weakness and sweating often accompany various intoxications, accompanied by vomiting and diarrhea. Such symptoms are especially pronounced in alcohol intoxication and smoking.

Very often, such symptoms become part of the clinical picture in endocrine diseases. For example, in diabetes mellitus, against the background of increased sweating and increased urine output, it is unlikely that anyone will be surprised by the appearance of dry mouth. And weakness occurs as a consequence of metabolic disorders, which negatively affects the functioning of various organs.

Thyrotoxicosis (hyperthyroidism or increased production of thyroid hormones by the thyroid gland) also involves increased fluid loss from the body due to increased sweating, frequent vomiting and diarrhea, which results in a feeling of thirst and dry mouth. Patients are tormented by fear, their sleep deteriorates, their heartbeat is rapid, their appetite deteriorates, their hands and body tremble, they become irritable, so it is not surprising when patients begin to experience severe weakness against this background.

Weakness, hyperhidrosis, dry mouth can be a consequence of oncological diseases in the head area and radiation therapy used to treat them, iron deficiency anemia and severe anxiety, neurological problems and systemic pathologies (for example, cystic fibrosis), kidney diseases.

[ 4 ], [ 5 ]

Diarrhea, vomiting

Weakness, sweating and diarrhea in most cases indicate food poisoning or alcohol intoxication. In this case, there is abundant cold sweat on the face, spasmodic pain in the abdomen, pale skin. In severe poisoning, the temperature can also rise sharply as a result of severe intoxication of the body.

But similar symptoms can also be seen in acute conditions of gastrointestinal diseases: gastritis and ulcerative lesions of the gastrointestinal tract, pancreatitis, cholecystitis, etc. For example, all these symptoms can be observed in pancreatic diarrhea, which occurs during exacerbations of chronic inflammation of the pancreas.

Frequent episodes of diarrhea, weakness and sweating may accompany the development of tumors in the digestive tract. The symptoms are especially pronounced in the last stages of the disease, which is associated with severe intoxication of the body with the decay products of the tumors.

The same thing with episodes of fever and frequent infectious pathologies is observed in the last stages of HIV infection, called AIDS. The body is unable to fight the proliferation of pathogenic and opportunistic microflora, which again leads to its strong intoxication with the products of bacterial activity.

A little higher we have already mentioned such an endocrine pathology as hyperthyroidism, which is also characterized by the above-described symptoms, including hyperthermia. Although such symptoms can appear even earlier, at the stage of goiter or tumor development in the thyroid gland.

Surprisingly, diarrhea, weakness and excessive sweating can be caused by a stressful situation, and the cause is increased production of the hormone adrenaline. It is not without reason that such symptoms are often experienced by high school students and students on the eve of and during exams.

Infectious respiratory and gastrointestinal pathologies, for which weakness and sweating against the background of changes in body temperature are a common symptom, can also be accompanied by diarrhea caused by a violation of the intestinal microflora. These same symptoms can be a consequence of intensive antibiotic therapy, which can destroy the beneficial intestinal microflora. That is why doctors advise taking probiotics during treatment with systemic antibacterial agents.

Some women experience diarrhea and sweating against the background of general weakness during menstruation. At the same time, pain in the lower abdomen and dizziness are also often noted.

[ 6 ], [ 7 ]

Loss of appetite, weight loss

Weakness, sweating and loss of appetite are non-specific symptoms that can be observed in combination with other manifestations of various diseases. They can be part of the clinical picture of inflammatory pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, infectious pathologies of various etiologies (remember how much you want to eat with the same ARVI or flu, not to mention poisoning and dysbacteriosis). The reason for the loss of appetite is, if not intoxication of the body, then fear of pain during eating.

In principle, any acute pathologies are accompanied by a deterioration in appetite. And weakness and its manifestation as hyperhidrosis are a consequence of the fact that the body spends a lot of energy to fight the disease.

Hormonal imbalances, especially if they are caused by a decrease in the secretory function of the thyroid gland (hypothyroidism), and some neuropsychiatric disorders can cause a decrease in appetite and the appearance of weakness.

The problem of lack of appetite is especially relevant in oncology and some nutritional disorders (for example, anorexia). This condition is observed due to a general metabolic disorder. It is clear that the general clinical picture of these deadly pathologies will include various manifestations of weakness.

It is clear that many of the above-described pathologies (cancer, anorexia, diseases of the nervous, endocrine and digestive systems) can be accompanied by weight loss. At the same time, for cancer diseases, weight loss, sweating and weakness are quite specific symptoms.

Weight loss is not always observed in gastrointestinal pathologies. Usually, such a symptom is characteristic of gastric and duodenal ulcers, intestinal obstruction and ulcerative colitis. There are also other specific symptoms:

• acute abdominal pain, diarrhea and vomiting (sometimes bloody), dyspepsia - ulcerative lesions of the gastrointestinal tract,
• dull pain in the lower abdomen, constipation and gas production, vomiting of digested food - intestinal obstruction.

In the overwhelming majority of cases, there is a deterioration in appetite.

As for endocrine pathologies, they can manifest themselves in different ways. Decreased appetite is typical for both hypo- and hyperthyroidism. However, in the first case, there is usually an increase in body weight, and in the second - a decrease against the background of the same weakness and hyperhidrosis. In diabetes mellitus, low insulin production leads to the body starting to spend its own energy in the form of fat reserves and muscle tissue.

Weight loss and weakness are among the many symptoms of a systemic disease called sarcoidosis, which is characterized by the formation of granules in various organs and metabolic disorders. Depending on the location of the lesion, symptoms such as cough, sweating, shortness of breath, fatigue, difficulty swallowing (dysphagia), anxiety, sleep disorders, joint pain, etc. can also be observed.

Weight loss, weakness and sweating are also obvious symptoms of salmonellosis along with fever, drop in blood pressure, jaundice, chills and headache. All the same 3 symptoms are characteristic of nervous anorexia, adrenal insufficiency, helminth infestation and some other parasites.

It is clear that weight loss is what many dieters strive for. But most diets involve strict restrictions in food choices, which results in an unbalanced diet, disrupted metabolism, and, as a consequence, weakness and sweating.

Anxiety

Any symptoms that are incomprehensible to us cause an anxious feeling in our soul. And the more a person thinks about his illness, the more nervous tension increases. And strong anxiety and worries, as we know, can easily cause a feeling of weakness and excessive sweating.

But a person may worry not only about his or her condition. These may be problems in the family and at work, conflicts with friends and management, the so-called "black streak". Anxiety caused by such reasons may drag on and lead a person into depression, in which weakness and sweating will occur with any physical or emotional stress.

Anxiety accompanied by weakness and sweating may be a consequence of hormonal changes during adolescence or menopause. These same symptoms may occur in expectant mothers, especially in the 1st and 3rd trimesters of pregnancy.

But the most dangerous thing is when such symptoms are observed against the background of heart pathologies, which may indicate ischemic heart disease or the development of myocardial infarction. In this case, cold sweat appears on the forehead and back, breathing difficulties, anxiety and pain in the chest on the left are noted.

A similar clinical picture can be observed at the onset of a stroke, which subsequently leads to loss of consciousness.

[ 8 ], [ 9 ]