Muscle weakness can occur all over the body, or just in one muscle. A common cause of acute weakness is stroke. Alternatively, certain medications, blood problems, thyroid problems, and spinal cord or nerve injury can cause weakness.
With stroke, one muscle, several muscles, or an entire side of your body can abruptly get weak. If just one area of muscle of the body is affected, you may have a nerve injury or paralysis. An example is a condition called wrist drop, or radial nerve injury.
Is my weakness due to a stroke?
Symptoms of stroke in women, including weakness, is not always so clear cut. When your body is weak, your nervous system has to put more effort into otherwise routine movements. Therefore, routine activities such as getting up out of bed or walking up the stairs will be difficult. In this case you may “sense” something is wrong without realizing that you are actually weak. Worse, you may not realize what is happening to your body is related to a stroke.
What medical conditions can cause weakness?
If you have certain medical conditions such as chronic pain, thyroid problems, electrolyte imbalances, anemia, influenza virus and aging you, may also may feel weak. These conditions, on the other hand, may make you feel weak when your muscle function is actually normal.
When your muscles cannot exert a normal force to perform a certain movement or task, however, there is likely a neurological cause for your weakness. If you feel weak, it may be an emergency and you should reach out to your doctor or get help immediately.