A lot of people experience fatigue or the constant feeling of tiredness and exhaustion. Others describe fatigue as a total lack of energy and far worse than feeling drowsy. A fatigued person usually goes on his day without any motivation or will to finish his tasks. One of the significant signs of fatigue is being sleepy and looking tired overall. Feeling stressed lately? Rejuvenate your tired face by visiting this clinic and combat fatigue with a fresher look. However, you may never be able to fully energize yourself if you do not know what made you feel fatigued.
Why Am I Fatigued?
Sometimes, we think that our tiredness is just the result of an exhausting day. But if this tiredness comes every single day to the point where you no longer find the motivation to get up and work, it might indicate that you are fatigued. Fatigue is a common symptom of several health conditions that could be mild or severe. In most cases, it’s the result of poor lifestyle choices, unhealthy diet, and lack of physical activity.
You may opt to give your doctor a visit if you think that your chronic fatigue is due to an undiagnosed physical or mental health condition. Doctors will help you determine the cause of your fatigue and provide medical advice diagnosis.
Common Causes Of Fatigue
Causes of fatigue are categorized into three different sections such as:
- mental health problems
- physical problems
- lifestyle factors
Let us discuss each cause of fatigue and all the specific causes that fall under them. Starting with:
Mental Health Issues
Fatigue is frequently associated with mental issues. Fatigue is a symptom of depression, anxiety, and SAD-seasonal affective disorder.
Physical Health Problems
If the cause of fatigue is physical health, you are probably in need of treatment for underlying medical conditions. Listed below are the conditions that cause fatigue:
- sleep disorders (sleep apnea, insomnia, restless leg syndrome)
- arthritis
- drug use
- eating disorders
- cancer
- diabetes
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- kidney disease
- heart failure
- autoimmune disorders
- liver disease
- hyperthyroidism
Lifestyle Factors
How you live your life plays a vital role in your overall health. For instance, your fatigue may be due to excessive alcohol intake, which causes you to have sleeping difficulties. Other factors might also cause fatigue, such as:
- lack of exercise
- unhealthy diet
- grief
- boredom
- too much caffeine
- drug abuse
- side effects of medication
- obesity
- lack of sleep
- emotional stress
Seeking Professional Help
Seeking professional help is probably the best thing for you to do. You should give your doctor a visit if your daily life is being highly affected and:
First, you do not understand what causes your fatigue. Second, if your body temperature is not normal. Third, you notice sudden weight loss even though you are not trying to lose weight. Next, you become too sensitive to cold. It’s also counted if you are having difficulty sleeping frequently. Lastly, talk to your doctor if you feel like you are depressed.
Like most people, you will initially try to address fatigue without any help. For example, you might try to make lifestyle changes such as limiting alcohol intake, tucking in early, and eating healthy. But if your efforts are not making any difference, and your fatigue has continued for weeks, it’s time to set an appointment with your doctor.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Medical Conditions
If you are aware that your medical condition is associated with fatigue, it would be safer to seek immediate medical help, especially if the following signs of fatigue takes place:
- shortness of breath
- chest pain
- extreme headache
- negative thoughts such as self-harm or suicide
- thoughts of hurting other people
- severe back, abdominal, and pelvic pain
- odd heartbeat
- dizziness
- feeling that you are about to faint
Treatment
Your doctor may advise diagnosis or treatment according to your symptoms. Before providing any medications, your medical conditions will be reviewed as well. To come up with proper diagnosis and resolution, some of the questions that will be asked to you will include:
- When did the fatigue start?
- What are signs of fatigue do you have?
- Does it go from mild to severe?
- Ten being the highest, rate the severity of your fatigue.
- What other symptoms do you feel?
- Are you willing to change your lifestyle?
- Do you have diagnosed health issues?
- Are you taking any medications?
For further analysis, your doctor may require laboratory tests such as blood tests and urine tests.
Reducing Fatigue
It’s easy to manage fatigue if you are willing to make changes to who you live your life. For instance, aiming to get enough sleep is probably one of the best ways to fight fatigue. However, it’s understandable that reducing fatigue can be pretty challenging for many. Lack of motivation is a hard battle to win, and mental fatigue would require some time to overcome.
Here are some health solutions that you might find helpful:
Schedule your sleep.
You can sleep like a baby by making sleep schedules. This is to stimulate your body when to sleep and when to wake up. You may go to bed one hour early before your scheduled bedtime to allow your body to be comfortable before dozing off.
Exercise regularly.
If you can’t sleep well at night, a daily exercise might help. Apart from the fact that exercising is beneficial for your body, it will also help you increase your energy levels to do your daily activities. But beware as exercising two hours before your bedtime may interrupt your sleep. If possible, do your workouts in the morning.
Stay away from bad habits.
Let’s be honest, excessive smoking and alcohol intake will do you no good. There is nothing wrong with occasional alcohol consumption, but tobacco products are the leading cause of many health problems. Limit your unhealthy habits to live a happy and fatigue-free life.
Reference:
Causes of Fatigue and How to Manage It (https://www.healthline.com/health/fatigue)
