Malaise

Malaise
ICD-10 R53
ICD-9 780.7
MedlinePlus 003089
eMedicine topic list

Malaise (pronounced /məˈleɪz/, mal-aze) is a feeling of general discomfort or uneasiness, of being "out of sorts", often the first indication of an infection or other disease. Malaise is often defined in medicinal research as a "general feeling of being unwell". This word is originally a French word existing since the 12th century.

The term is also often used figuratively in other contexts; for example, "economic malaise" refers to an economy that is stagnant or in recession; compare depression. The term is particularly associated with the stagflation of the 1970s, as in the popularly called "malaise" speech of President Jimmy Carter (the speech, however, did not use the term). (The term "malaise" as used for the 1970s stagflation predates the speech, however.[1])

Contents

Cause

There can be various causes of malaise, from the slightest like an emotion (causing vasovagal response) or hunger (light hypoglycemia) to the most serious (cancer, stroke, heart attack, internal bleeding, etc.).

Generally speaking, the malaise expresses that "something is not going right," like a general warning light, but only a medical examination can determine the cause.

Associated conditions

See also

Notes and references

  1. ^ One example can be found in The Next 200 Years: A Scenario for America and the World, by Herman Kahn et al., published in 1976, p. 2.

External links