Malaise overview
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Malaise overview On the Web |
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Malaise is a feeling of general discomfort or uneasiness, an "out of sorts" feeling, often the first indication of an infection or other disease. Often defined in medicinal research as a "general feeling of being unwell".
Colloquially, malaise has been referred to as "the creeping crud" (especially in reference to the malaise caused by communicable diseases such as influenza and the common cold). This usage may have originated in folk medicine, but it is adopted from the French word meaning "discomfort," "feeling faint," "feeling sick."
The term is also often used figuratively in such contexts as "economic malaise."
Historical Perspective
U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who on July 15, 1979, gave his famous "national malaise" speech where he described a "crisis in the growing doubt about the meaning of our own lives and in the loss of a unity of purpose for our nation." The word "malaise" did not appear in the text of the speech.
Cause
There can be various causes to a malaise, from the slightest like an emotion (causing vagal response) or hunger (lighthypoglycemia) to the most serious (cancer, cerebrovascular accident, internal bleeding etc.).
Generally speaking, the malaise expresses that "something is wrong," like a general warning light, but only a medical examination can determine the cause.
Treatment
Medical Therapy
The following step depends on the organization of the emergency medical assistance. Some countries provide free medical advice by phone (e.g., SAMU in France): it is then useful to call this service to know what to do. Otherwise, it is useful to contact the usual general practitioner of the person, to get his or her advice, or any medical or paramedical professional at least. The bystander who calls must mention all the elements collected so far. When it is not possible to contact the individual's primary-care physician, it is then necessary to assess the situation in order to decide whether it is necessary to call anambulance.
References