Muscle Weakness: Causes of poor muscle health and how to prevent it

Muscle weakness is a lack of strength in the muscles. Read on to know the causes of muscle weakness and how you can mitigate the risk.

Do you feel exhausted to the point where you are unable to lift a muscle? Muscle weakness can affect anyone and can be sneaky sometimes. It makes it harder for people to do simple tasks by slowing down their metabolism and throwing you off balance. Your bones start hurting, your posture worsens, and you feel tired most of the time. So, what causes it?

Causes Of Muscle Weakness

Often ignored and misunderstood, this condition is not limited to gym-goers. Poor muscle health not only makes it difficult to carry out physical activities but affect your overall health. It could also be a sign of an underlying health problem. Here are the potential causes of muscle weakness.

Diabetes

Diabetes is a result of your body's inability to use or produce enough insulin. Insulin helps your body to change glucose into energy and keep your blood sugar levels in check. So, get your blood glucose levels checked if you have weak muscles.

Chronic fatigue

As the name suggests, people with chronic fatigue syndrome experience severe tiredness and sleep problems. Muscle weakness, pain and inability to concentrate are some of the symptoms of this condition.

Anaemia

Anaemia or iron deficiency is one of the most common and widespread blood-related condition in the world. It is a condition in which the number of red blood cells or haemoglobin concentration becomes lower than normal. Dizziness, shortness of breath, headaches, and cold limbs are some of the common factors of anaemia.

Addison's disease

It is a rare disease in which your adrenal glands, located just above your kidneys, doesn't produce enough cortisol and aldosterone. Apart from muscle weakness, other symptoms of the disease include fatigue, weight loss, loss of appetite and stomach pain.

Sleep problems

Muscle weakness and fatigue could be a sign of narcolepsy and insomnia. Narcolepsy is a neurological disorder that affects a person's sleep/wake cycle. Insomnia, on the other hand, is when you have trouble falling or staying asleep.

Hypothyroidism

An underactive thyroid or hypothyroidism can cause muscle weakness and cramping. It can get worse with time, which is why it is important to keep it in control. Other symptoms of the disease include weight gain, cold feet, dry skin, fatigue, irregular menstrual cycle, joint and muscle pain, depression and fertility problems.

Electrolyte imbalance

Electrolyte imbalance occurs due to a deficiency or an overabundance of nutrients like calcium, potassium, sodium, and magnesium. Among other symptoms, muscle weakness is one of its primary signs.

Infections

Some infectious diseases like influenza, syphilis, meningitis, Lyme disease and others can also cause muscle weakness.

Foods For Muscle Weakness

Nutrition and exercise play a major role in improving muscle health. That said, here are some tips to improve your muscle health.

• Eat a protein-rich diet. Eggs, walnuts, chickpeas, tofu, lentils, fish, milk, yoghurt, nuts, cottage cheese, and broccoli are some of the good sources of protein
• Get enough sleep to allow the muscle to recover overnight
• Keep your stress levels in check
• Practice yoga or meditation regularly
• Exercise at least five days a week or walk daily
• Get a body massage to help the muscles to recover faster
• Include more whole grains in your diet