In the 'Symptoms - Muscular' section of our in-depth questionnaire we ask the following question about individual weak muscles:
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Do you have individual muscles that are weaker than they should be?
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Your answer |
...indicates |
...and suggests |
| 1. |
"Don't know" |
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| 2. |
"No" |
No individual weak muscles |
A symptom |
| 3. |
"Mild / one" |
Individual weak muscles |
A symptom |
| 4. |
"Moderate" |
Individual weak muscles |
A symptom |
| 5. |
"Serious / several" |
Individual weak muscles |
A symptom |
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Your answer will affect the likelihoods of the conditions below.
Any answers in green reduce the likelihood of the condition.
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| Answers |
Condition |
Comment |
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3 |
4 |
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Dermatomyositis |
-- |
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3 |
4 |
5 |
Environmental Illness / MCS |
The muscular weakness may be due to a nerve problem caused by chemical exposure and immune system changes associated with MCS. |
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3 |
4 |
5 |
Fluoride Toxicity |
Early warning signs of fluorosis include loss of muscle power, weakness and pain. |
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3 |
4 |
5 |
Guillain-Barre Syndrome |
GBS can cause muscles to weaken and atrophy. Progressive weakening or paralysis may occur, typically beginning in the feet, hands or face. The paralysis characteristically involves more than one limb, most commonly the legs. The paralysis is progressive and usually ascending, spreading to the rest of the limb, and from there may spread to the legs, arms and the rest of the body. The arms may feel weak, the patient no longer being able to lift heavy objects. |
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4 |
5 |
Hypogonadism, Male |
(Men only) |
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3 |
4 |
5 |
Magnesium Toxicity |
Magnesium overload can depress the central nervous system, causing muscle weakness, lethargy, sleepiness, hyperexcitability, mental status changes, nausea, appetite loss, extremely low blood pressure, and irregular heartbeat. |
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3 |
4 |
5 |
Multiple Sclerosis |
Gait disorders varying from an inability to walk the usual distance to an inability to walk at all are the principal problems of patients with MS. |
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3 |
4 |
5 |
Muscular Dystrophy |
-- |
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3 |
4 |
5 |
Myasthenia Gravis |
-- |
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4 |
5 |
Nephrotic Syndrome |
-- |
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3 |
4 |
5 |
Polymyositis |
Muscle weakness is the most common symptom of Polymyositis and Dermatomyositis (PM/DM), which are chronic inflammatory diseases of the muscle. |
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3 |
4 |
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Premature/Signs of Aging |
-- |
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3 |
4 |
5 |
The Effects Of Overtraining |
-- |
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3 |
4 |
5 |
Vitamin B12 Requirement |
-- |
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3 |
4 |
5 |
West Nile Virus |
True muscle weakness in the presence of other related symptoms is suggestive of West Nile virus infection. |
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GLOSSARY
Central Nervous System (CNS)
A collective term for the brain, spinal cord, their nerves, and the sensory end organs. More broadly, this can even include the
neurotransmitting hormones instigated by the CNS that control the chemical nervous system, the endocrine glands.
Chronic (Chronicity)
Usually referring to chronic illness: Illness extending over a long period of time.
Dermatomyositis
A diffuse connective tissue disease.
Immune System (Immune Response, Immunity)
A complex that protects the body from disease organisms and other foreign bodies. The system includes the humoral immune response and the cell-mediated response. The immune system also protects the body from invasion by making local barriers and inflammation. The process may involve acquired immunity (the ability to learn and remember a specific infectious agent), or innate immunity (the genetically programmed system of responses that attack, digest, remove, and initiate inflammation and tissue healing).
Magnesium
An essential mineral. The chief function of magnesium is to activate certain enzymes, especially those related to carbohydrate metabolism. Another role is to maintain the electrical potential across nerve and muscle membranes. It is essential for proper heartbeat and nerve transmission. Magnesium controls many cellular functions. It is involved in protein formation, DNA production and function and in the storage and release of energy in ATP. Magnesium is closely related to calcium and phosphorus in body function. The average adult body contains approximately one ounce of magnesium. It is the fifth mineral in abundance within the body--behind calcium, phosphorus, potassium and sodium. Although about 70 percent of the body's magnesium is contained in the teeth and bones, its most important functions are carried out by the remainder which is present in the cells of the soft tissues and in the fluid surrounding those cells.
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (Chemical Hypersensitivity, Environmental Illness, MCS)
The diagnostic label of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) is being applied increasingly, although definition of the phenomenon is elusive. MCS has become more widely known and increasingly controversial as more patients receive the label. Persons with the label of multiple chemical sensitivity are said to suffer multisystem illnesses as a result of contact with - or proximity to - a spectrum of substances, including airborne agents. These may include both recognized pollutants and other pollutants ordinarily considered harmless. Some doctors believe that MCS is a purely psychological issue. Others, however, counter that the disorder can cause the kinds of problems that keep those who are affected from leading a normal life.
Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
Demyelinating disorder of the central nervous system, causing patches of sclerosis (plaques) in the brain and spinal cord, manifested by loss of normal neurological functions, e.g. muscle weakness, loss of vision, and mood alterations.
Nausea
Symptoms resulting from an inclination to vomit.
Virus (Viri, Viruses)
Any of a vast group of minute structures composed of a protein coat and a core of DNA and/or RNA that reproduces in the cells of the infected host. Capable of infecting all animals and plants, causing devastating disease in immunocompromised individuals. Viruses are not affected by antibiotics, and are completely dependent upon the cells of the infected host for the ability to reproduce.
Last updated: Feb 28, 2008
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