Is fatigue a disease, a symptom of stress, or an overall feeling of tiresome and lethargy? Well, a lot of people confuse fatigue with stress or disease. It’s a feeling of consistent tiredness coupled with physical and mental weakness. Fatigue can be experienced by all groups of people. Similarly, long working hours, extended classes, and an unhealthy lifestyle can also cause fatigue and low energy.
Ask yourself! Have you ever had one of those days when you are drained, you don’t seem to be able to be productive. The fatigue is wearing out all of your energy. Sure, this happens with people off and on, but the situation gets alarming when the fatigue goes beyond your mental strength. It shouldn’t occur more often neither should it last long.
This blog is going to shed light on Fatigue, its causes, and how to remedy it.
CAUSES OF FATIGUE
SLEEPLESSNESS
A good night’s sleep is important for a healthy life. A human adult needs seven to eight hours of sleep daily. Sleeplessness can negatively affect your concentration and performance. When we work for a whole day, our body needs sleep to restart and reset. If that much sleep time is not available, we might experience fatigue.
LIFESTYLE RELATED PROBLEMS
LACK OF REGULAR EXERCISE
Lack of physical exercise makes your body dull and lazy. It is one of the leading non-medical reasons for fatigue, believe it or not. Lack of regular exercise can also make your sleep patterns irregular. It is recommended that regular exercise means a total of 150 minutes a week. It can be spread out throughout the week. It should include cardio that increases your heart rate.
POOR DIET
Eating an unbalanced diet can also cause fatigue. Nutritionally poor foods don’t provide enough energy to the body to withstand the pressure of daily activities. Low kcal foods, low carbohydrate foods, and high energy foods don’t provide the body enough fuel to perform daily activities. Eat a well-balanced diet to fight fatigue.
ALCOHOL USE
Alcohol slows down the nervous system and disturbs your sleeping routine. Other cigarette substances and caffeine may also cause insomnia.
INDIVIDUAL REASONS
Individual factors such as personal illness, or a sick family member.
Hectic work hours or financial problems may also cause fatigue.
WORKPLACE RELATED CAUSES OF FATIGUE
Job stress
There can be many different causes of stress such as job dissatisfaction, bullying, conflicts with colleagues or bosses, high workload, frequent transfers, and job insecurity.
Poor workplace practices
Poor workplace practices may also contribute to a person’s fatigue. Such practices may include long working hours, irregular working hours, hard physical labor, high noise, and pollution in the workplace, working alone, boredom, and fixed concentration on a repetitive task.
Irregular shifts
Human bodies are programmed to sleep during the night. A shift in which you have to work during the night sometimes causes stress and fatigue.
Unemployment
Feelings of failure, guilt, financial pressures, prolonged job search, and underemployment may also result in stress and fatigue.
PSYCHOLOGICAL CAUSES
Psychological factors which may result in fatigue include:
Anxiety and stress. A constantly stressed person always keeps their body in overdrive. The constant exhaustion causes adrenaline release and leads to stress.
Depression
Depression refers to prolonged feelings of sadness, dejection, and hopelessness. People suffering from depression also experience fatigue. Seek medical attention if you are experiencing depression.
Grief
If a person loses a loved one, he may experience shock, depression, guilt, despair, and loneliness. This in turn causes fatigue. Find a trusted friend or family member to talk about your grief or join a support group. Be kind to yourself and allow yourself time to grieve.
6 TIPS TO IMPROVE FATIGUE
1. GET A GOOD NIGHT SLEEP
You must make sleep a priority and make a proper schedule for it. Keep all the gadgets away when you are going to sleep. If you still have sleeping problems, consult a doctor.
Some people think that they are sleeping enough; however, sleep apnea may prevent it. To eliminate this condition, you must lose weight, quit smoking, and buy a CPAP device to keep open your airway passages.
2. EAT A BALANCED DIET
If you eat too little anorexia, it causes fatigue. Eating the wrong foods can also create problems. If you take a balanced diet it will keep your blood sugar at normal levels and will prevent sluggishness when your blood sugar drops.
You should eat an adequate breakfast regularly. Eating a balanced diet includes lean proteins, dairy, fruits, vegetables, and carbohydrates in meals. You should eat small meals and snacks throughout the day for continuous energy.
3. CONSULT A DOCTOR FOR DEPRESSION
Depression can be an emotional disorder, but it produces many physical symptoms as well. Headache, fatigue, and loss of appetite are among the most common symptoms. If you feel sick for a few days you should see a doctor. Depression can be mitigated by talk therapy and medication.
4. REDUCE CAFFEINE OVERLOAD
Caffeine if taken in moderate doses, can improve alertness and concentration. High doses of caffeine can increase heart rate, and blood pressure, and make you jittery. You should gradually decrease caffeine intake, tea, chocolate, soft drinks, and any medications you take that contain caffeine.
5. EXERCISE
You might feel that exercise makes you feel tired but it helps you in the long run. It will make you feel less tired and you will have more energy. Start with small intervals of exercise and increase it gradually.
6. REDUCE STRESS AND BOOST ENERGY
Stress consumes a lot of your energy. You must eliminate or reduce stress from your daily life. Exercise such as working out at the gym can help reduce stress. You could also start yoga or meditation. Listen to music and spend time with friends. You could also start a hobby or read a book. Find daily activities that relax you.
In conclusion, fatigue can be an occasional part of a normal and healthy life. Since it is more of a symptom than a disease. The reasons for the fatigue can be turned around or managed usually.
MEDICAL REASONS
If you have tried the tips above or you feel your fatigue is related to a medical condition you should consult with your doctor. Fatigue can be a symptom of some medical conditions such as:
heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, COPD, thyroid disorders, anemia, and cancer. Some treatments for medical conditions can have fatigue as a side effect. Your doctor is a good resource to advise you on treatments that may improve your fatigue.
Conclusion
You may be able to make changes in your life to manage your fatigue on your own. For a lot of people, fatigue is a symptom of the need to make lifestyle changes. If you feel your fatigue is due to a medical condition. If you have made lifestyle changes and are still feeling fatigued. It is time to consult with your doctor to see if there is a medical cause. It is best to address it as soon as possible to lead a healthy and productive life.
