Feeling generally unwell (malaise)

Category: General & Whole-Body Symptoms · All general symptoms

What it can feel like

Feeling generally unwell — malaise — is the whole-body sense that something is not right: heavy, achy, off your food, unable to concentrate, without one single symptom standing out. It is vague but real, and it often appears at the start of an illness or lingers during recovery.

Possible causes

A symptom can have many causes, and most are not serious. The lists below group conditions this symptom can be associated with — common causes first. They are possibilities to discuss with a clinician, not a diagnosis.

Common causes

Malaise can be associated with the start of viral illnesses such as colds and flu, with poor sleep, stress, dehydration and doing too much while recovering from an infection or operation.

Other possible causes

Malaise that persists or worsens can be associated with infections that have not declared themselves, with anaemia or thyroid problems, with low mood, and with longer-term conditions of the heart, lungs, kidneys or liver.

Red flags — when to seek help promptly

Feeling unwell with chest pain, severe breathlessness or confusion
Feeling unwell with a high fever, stiff neck or a non-fading rash
Feeling unwell that is rapidly getting worse over hours
An older person who becomes unwell with new confusion or falls
Feeling unwell in pregnancy with pain or reduced baby movements

What a clinician may do

A clinician will ask what has changed, take a full set of observations (temperature, pulse, blood pressure, breathing), examine you, and often arrange blood and urine tests. Because the symptom is general, the history and examination do most of the directing.

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Frequently asked questions

Is 'just feeling unwell' worth an appointment?

Yes, if it is new and persistent or getting worse — clinicians treat a clear change in how someone feels as useful information, particularly in older people, where serious illness may show as malaise and confusion rather than pain or fever.

What details help the clinician most?

When it started, how it has changed, your temperature if you have measured it, other symptoms however minor, new medicines, recent illness or surgery, and what you can and cannot manage compared with usual.

Related symptoms — General & Whole-Body Symptoms

Chills Excessive sweating Excessive thirst Fatigue Feeling cold all the time Fever

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Please note: This page is educational information about a symptom. A symptom alone cannot diagnose any condition, and the causes listed here are possibilities, not a diagnosis. If you are worried about a symptom — especially one that is new, severe, getting worse or not going away — please see your own clinician, who can examine you and arrange tests. In an emergency, call your local emergency number.