Muscle Weakness facts

While investigating facts about Muscle Weakness, I found out little known, but curios details like:

The Plantaris is a small muscle in your calf that is believed to be used by our ancestors to grip with their feet. It is so weak that it is considered functionally obsolete and arguments have been made that humans are evolving it out. It is absent in 7-10% of the population worldwide.

Frog neck muscles are so weak that they use their eyes to push food down their throat. While it looks like they're blinking, they’re actually sucking their eyes down into their bodies to push food into their stomach.

In my opinion, it is useful to put together a list of the most interesting details from trusted sources that I've come across. Here are 23 of the best facts about Muscle Weakness I managed to collect.

1. Tyrannosaurus arms were 1 meter long and heavily muscled, with biceps capable of lifting several hundred pounds alone. They only appear small and weak relative to the rest of its body.

2. A woman's uterus can fall out of her vagina if the muscles are too weak.

3. Honey could kill a baby because of Botulism spores that release toxins causing muscle weakness and breathing issues. Adults don't have the same risk as the stomach acid is strong enough to kill the spores.

4. Although the saltwater crocodile has the highest recorded bite force in any animal, the muscles used to open its mouth are very weak- its mouth can be securely shut with a couple layers of duct tape.

5. Alligator has one of the strongest bites in the world, but it has very weak muscles responsible for opening of jaws. That's why piece of duct tape or pair of human hands can keep alligator's mouth closed.

6. Protein deficiency can lead to a variety of health issues such as kwashiorkor, decreased immune function, edema, thinning nails and hair, pain in the muscles and joints, and weakness.

7. Some lesser-known signs of dehydration include the inability to make tears, dry mouth, lack of sweating (when you should be sweating), muscle cramping, vomiting, nausea, heart palpitations, weakness, and the feeling of being lightheaded.

8. Symptoms of botulism in humans include blurred vision, dry mouth, trouble swallowing, and muscle weakness. The muscle weakness tends to start in the shoulder area and move downwards through the body.

9. In adults it is believed that the Zika virus can result in Guillain-Barre syndrome, which can result in muscle weakness, and damage to the peripheral nervous system. This condition is life-threatening in approximately 15% of cases as breathing muscles weaken and the patient required mechanical ventilation.

10. Mulga snake produces large quantities of venom that induces muscle weakness and mild paralysis, nausea, vomiting and lightheadedness in humans. Luckily, antivenin for this venom is available in most hospitals.

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Symptoms of Lassa fever includes the gradual onset of weakness and fever, followed by muscle pains, a sore throat, headaches, coughing, vomiting, abdominal pain and chest pain. If it becomes severe symptoms can include swelling of the face, bleeding from the nose and mouth, and from the gastrointestinal tract.

Other symptoms of Norwalk virus infection can include weakness, muscle pains and aches, headaches, low fever, and becoming lethargic.

Weakfish has weak mouth muscles. Hook easily tears apart mouth of this fish, hence the name "weakfish". Thanks to this feature, weakfish quickly returns to the water (and escapes from anglers).

Shifting your eyes side to side produces weak electrical activity in ear muscles and a curling of the outer edge of the ear - basically focusing in on sounds. Some people have more control over this, which is why they can wiggle their ears.

Vitamin b12 deficiency causes nerve problems like numbness & muscle weakness, reduces the tongues ability to taste & triggers anxiety & depression. - source

Rickets (the big medical name for this is osteomalacia when it occurs in adults) is a softening of the bones in kids, and leads to bowing out of the legs. It can also cause tender bones, some weakness, easily broken bones, muscle spasms, and if it happens in babies can cause a soft skull.

Sharks have the ability to sense prey hidden in the ocean floor by sensing the weak electric fields produced by their prey's muscle contractions. This is called Electroreception.

95% of people who contract polio show no symptoms. Only 0.5% suffer muscle weakness, and many recover. Only 5% of those children who suffer muscle weakness die.

The mascot for the Ohio State Buckeyes is a poisonous tree nut that causes "Muscle weakness and paralysis, dilated pupils, vomiting, diarrhea, depression, paralysis, and stupor."

Botulism is a rare and potentially fatal illness caused by a toxin, produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. The disease begins with weakness, trouble seeing, feeling tired, and trouble speaking. This may then be followed by weakness of the arms, chest muscles, and legs.

Drinking high amounts of cola can cause severe muscle weakness.