First Aid Common Causes of Generalized Weakness By Rod Brouhard, EMT-P facebook twitter linkedin Rod Brouhard is an emergency medical technician paramedic (EMT-P), journalist, educator, and advocate for emergency medical service providers and patients. Learn about our editorial process Rod Brouhard, EMT-P Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Michael Menna, DO on January 06, 2020 Michael Menna, DO, is a board-certified, active attending emergency medicine physician at White Plains Hospital in White Plains, New York. Learn about our Medical Review Board Michael Menna, DO on January 06, 2020 Print Generalized weakness is one of the most common medical complaints of seniors in the U.S. It is characterized by muscle weakness throughout the body. There are so many medical conditions can result in generalized weakness that it is one of the hardest medical complaints to diagnose. NuriaE / Getty Images Ruling Out Other Medical Conditions Health care providers try to start with what a medical condition isn't before trying to figure out what it is. We call it ruling out the problems. For example, weakness in only one area of the body instead of the whole thing is usually related to the brain (stroke) or to the muscles that are affected (muscle fatigue), so we could rule out other causes. If you were experiencing shortness of breath with weakness, emergency medical responders and health care providers would rule out shock or stroke and focus on asthma, COPD, heart failure ,or anaphylactic reaction as possible culprits. Causes Generalized weakness is most often related to fatigue or low blood pressure. It can be also be related to endocrine problems. Medical reports have identified several conditions associated with acute weakness seen in the emergency room. Here is a list of potential causes of generalized weakness: Shock is a medical condition that leads to dangerously low blood pressure. It can be from things like bleeding, dehydration, or heat exhaustion. Severe infections, known as sepsis, can also lead to shock.Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) is a concern if you have a history of diabetes or you've gone a very long time without eating. It's very common for patients to develop hypoglycemia when they are being treated for diabetes.Severe hypothermia can cause fatigue and weakness. The lack of heat leads to a loss of energy as the body tries to conserve. By the time hypothermia is bad enough to cause fatigue, it is a severe medical emergency.Many poisons including those found in the home as well as many medications can cause weakness or fainting. Carbon monoxide (CO) is a common household poisonous gas that might affect more people than we realize. The classic symptoms of CO poisoning start with weakness and headache. Make sure to get an accurate CO poisoning diagnosis and treatment.Anything that causes shortness of breath or chest pain, such as asthma, heart failure or anaphylaxis (allergic reaction) can lead to fatigue and general weakness. The lack of oxygen (or buildup of CO2) in the bloodstream means the body tissues and cells don't get enough oxygen to power themselves. Treatment There is no specific treatment for generalized weakness. The only way to fix the weakness is to treat the underlying cause. For example, carbon monoxide poisoning can only be treated by moving the patient out of the environment where the carbon monoxide is in the air. Usually, that means moving the patient out of the house. Many of the same causes of general weakness lead to things like fainting and some of the treatments might help. You could even think of general weakness as slow-motion fainting. If you can figure out what's causing weakness, you can treat it. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Stroke. National Institutes on Aging. Updated May 16, 2017 Miller, Marc, MD. Approach to the Patient with Muscle Weakness. UpToDate. Updated: Apr 09, 2019. Asimos,Andrew W, MD. Evaluation of the Adult With Acute Weakness in the Emergency Department. Updated: Oct 17, 2019