Lethargy is a general feeling of weakness, boredom and a general lack of enthusiasm. Typically, a lethargic person is less alert and less interested of his immediate surroundings. A lethargic person does not feel like doing any active work or participate in anything that involves physical or mental activity.
Signs and Symptoms of Lethargy
There are some very obvious signs and symptoms of lethargy. The most common sign of lethargy is constantly feeling tired, both physically and mentally. Drowsiness or feeling the need to always lie down and sleep is one of the most prevalent symptom of lethargy.
Here are few more symptoms that will help you see if you are a lethargic person:
- When a person is feeling lethargic, he may express indifference to the world and to what’s going on around him. A noticeable slowness in comprehending things like information and simple questions, can be a sign of lethargy.
- Listlessness or looking out into the distance, and constantly daydreaming is also part of lethargy symptom.
- In general the person is late in responding to any activity. It can be at a physical or mental level. For example, his response to loud noise may be very late or subdued or it may be totally absent.
- Physically the patient feels totally drained and there is no energy left. There is always a bored look on his face.
- The person complains of nothing and wants nothing. There is always lack of vital reaction when a person feels lethargic.
- Other signs of lethargy include malaise, fatigue, some difficulty in focusing on what is being done or being said. He will also be unwilling to do his regular chores or activities.
- Sometimes when a person is lethargic, he may experience some pain in certain parts of his body. You may experience muscle and joint pain with the feeling of lethargy.
- People who are lethargic may also show symptoms like a noticeable change in their eating habits or their appetite. Bowel problems like constipation and diarrhea can also be seen as symptoms of this problem.
- With lethargy, a person may feel lazy and weak momentarily for sometime (example, after eating a heavy meal). Sometimes, the condition may persist for several days and weeks. If a person feels lethargic for a prolonged period of time, it indicates a deeper cause. He needs to be examined and evaluated medically.
- There may be other associated emotional symptoms such as depression and sadness with signs and symptoms of lethargy,
