Aching Joints And Fatigue Causes

Which Comes First Sleep Loss Or Depression

âIn people who have bad insomnia and bad depression, it is often very difficult to tell which came first,â says Mark Mahowald, MD, director of the Minnesota Regional Sleep Disorders Center in Hennepin County. âSleep deprivation can impair mood, and impaired mood can result in impaired quality and quantity of sleep.â

According to Auger, the relationship between sleep and depression is not entirely understood. âBut there is a well-established connection between lack of sleep and mental and physical health,â Auger says. âSleep is as important an aspect of health as exercise and nutrition. Sleep is non-negotiable.â

What Is Pots And Why Does It Cause Fatigue

POTS is a group of symptoms resulting from dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system. This branch of the nervous system regulates functions we dont consciously control like sweating and blood circulation.

In people with POTS, more blood collects in the lower body when standing upright. The heart beats faster to pump it up to the brain, but with little success. The causes of POTS are unknown, but the problem is thought to lie in the communication breakdown between the brain and the cardiovascular system.

POTS-related fatigue is physical in nature and the mechanism behind it is not fully understood. It may have several causes, including your body working harder to move the blood.

Unexplained Pain: Could Those Aches And Fatigue Be An Autoimmune Disease

Are you exhausted and depressed? Do your joints ache? These are telltale symptoms of more than 80 of the autoimmune diseases that exist. Find out the 6 most common, what happens when your body turns against itself and how to diagnose and treat symptoms

When our immune systems work right, our body is able to fend off attacks from invading bacteria and viruses. But with an autoimmune disease, it fights against us. Instead of protecting, it attacks, sending armies of your bodys disease-fighters to battle your own healthy tissue, cells and organs.

Up to 22 million Americans have autoimmune disorders, according to the National Institutes of Health . Nearly 80% of them are women many in their childbearing years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . And the numbers are growing. Autoimmune diseases are much more prevalent now than they were 20 years ago, says Virginia Ladd, president of the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association. Each disease is relatively rare, but looking at them collectively, thats another story.

• Pain in the wrists and fingers of both hands
• Tender, warm joints in both knees and elbows
• Morning discomfort

• Shortness of breath or chest pain
• Skin sores from sun exposure

How to treat it:

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Increase Your Physical Activity

Adding some gentle exercises to your day can increase the amount of energy you have.

Staying active increases your fitness levels and strengthens your muscles. Weak muscles use more energy, so doing too little can be as damaging as doing too much.

Exercise also increases your circulation and improves the health of vital organs, such as your heart and lungs, which can also give you more energy.

Its important to give yourself time to recover after exercise by taking a break before you move onto your next activity.

When you start exercising

Introducing more physical activity to your day may be tiring at first. Dont overdo it, start your activity slowly, perhaps just add a 510 minute walk or some gentle stretching exercises to begin with.

If youre in pain you can take painkillers before you exercise.

Gradually build up the amount of activity you do. For example, when youre ready, walk for 5 more minutes or add some strengthening exercises to your routine.

Generally, the best way to build up your fitness levels is to do a little exercise as often as you can. Stick with it because as you get fitter youll start to feel better, stronger and more energetic.

You could try using a step counter such as a fitness tracker, a pedometer, or a mobile phone app. When youre ready and depending on how youre feeling, you could try to beat your previous records.

You should aim to exercise every day. But be aware some days will be easier than others.

What Are Some Other Causes Of Muscle Pain

In addition to underlying health conditions, there are also other causes of muscle pain. These are most often related to lifestyle factors, including:

• Injuries. Its possible to injure a muscle by straining or bruising. This can happen through things like falls, twists, or sudden blows.
• Overuse. Overuse of a certain muscle group can also cause muscle pain. This often happens when you frequently do an activity that requires repetitive motions.
• Exercise. You may experience temporary muscle pain after starting a new exercise regimen or changing your normal exercise routine. This pain typically eases as your muscles adjust to the new routine.
• Posture. Having poor posture can place strain on certain muscles, leading to discomfort or pain. Some examples include hunching forward, slouching back in a chair, or leaning onto one leg.
• Medications. Certain types of medications can cause muscle pain as a side effect. Some examples include:

• aspirin

In addition to relieving muscle pain, these medications can also help with other COVID-19 symptoms like fever and headache.

Some other things that can help to alleviate COVID-19 symptoms include drinking enough fluids and getting plenty of rest.

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What Causes Your Fatigue

Many physical and mental illnesses, as well as lifestyle factors, can cause your fatigue, and that can make it hard to diagnose. In some cases, it might be something simple and easy to fix, like having caffeine at bedtime. But other causes, like heart disease or COPD, are serious, and you may need to start long-term treatment right away.

Your doctor can help you sift through your health issues, as well as diet, exercise, and other lifestyle habits, in order to zero in on the cause and help you on the road to recovery.

What Happens When Someone Has Fibromyalgia

Teens with fibromyalgia may:

• have pain throughout their bodies. Usually, its dull or burning, but it can be more of a shooting or throbbing pain.
• get many headaches
• feel very tired or have little energy. Because of this, fibromyalgia might be confused with chronic fatigue syndrome. Sometimes people can have both conditions.

Most teens with fibromyalgia also have trouble sleeping. They may wake up often during the night and feel exhausted in the morning. They also can have problems like restless legs syndrome and sleep apnea, which can add to their sleep problems.

People with fibromyalgia might notice problems with memory or concentration. Some may be anxious or depressed. Some also have irritable bowel syndrome, a kind of digestive problem.

After a while, people might notice that certain things make their pain and other symptoms worse. For some, it might be stress. For others, it could be cold, damp weather. Everyones different.

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Meal Plan And Prep When You Can

One of the best ways to ensure a nutritious diet is to meal plan and prep food ahead of time. On days that you have more energy, plan out what you will eat for the rest of the week and prep your basic ingredients or cook the meals all the way through. Your meals will be all ready to go. You wont have to worry about what youll eat on a given day. Even better: Enlist someone to help you so you can get more done without exhausting yourself.

Can My Doctor Diagnose Fibromyalgia From The Tender Points

Your doctor can test the painful tender points during a physical exam. But you also need to tell them about the exact pain you feel in those areas. Tell them about your other symptoms of fibromyalgia, too, such as deep muscle pain, fatigue, and sleep problems. If youve been diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome, let the doctor know. IBS sometimes coincides with fibromyalgia.

When a doctor tests tender points for pain, they will also check other non-tender places on your body called control points to make sure you dont react to these as well.

To get an official diagnosis of fibromyalgia, you must feel widespread pain for at least 3 months.

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What Are The Most Common Causes Of Joint Pain And Nausea

During pregnancy, a woman usually gains weight, and it is typically distributed in a different way than her body is used to. Her feet and ankles may experience more pressure than before the pregnancy, resulting in joint pain. Nausea is a common symptom for pregnant women and usually does not last past the first trimester, although some women experience nausea throughout the entire pregnancy. Joint pain and nausea may not occur at the same time during pregnancy.

Influenza, or the flu, is a viral infection that has many different symptoms. Sometimes a person may experience nausea and vomiting when she has the flu, or she may have other symptoms like fatigue and a sore throat. Joint pain and overall muscle weakness are often a common complaint of people who have influenza. Children, the elderly, and women who are pregnant are more likely to suffer from the flu. Those who work with the elderly or take care of children also have a higher likelihood of contracting a flu virus.

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See Rashes On Eyelids

If your musculoskeletal pain comes bundled with eyelid rashes, you could be in the grips of dermatomyositis. This is an autoimmune disease that causes general aching because it inflames the blood vessels beneath your skin. It can make it hard to swallow, and to stand up from a seated position. Common symptoms include fatigue and rashes. These can be red or purple, and they tend to itch. And they dont just appear on eyelids dermatomyositis rashes may appear on cheeks, elbows, knees, knuckles, the back, or the upper chest.

Your doctor might prescribe medications like corticosteroids to control the symptoms. There are exercises that can be learned to keep your strength and flexibility up as well, and therapies to control the swallowing problems that can result from this disease. Purified blood products can be offered as injections, and these can stop the damage to your muscles and skin for a time. But they need to be administered regularly and they are expensive.

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Fatigue Joint Aches Muscle Weakness And Stiffness Or Decreased Movement

Reviewed on 8/5/2020

There are a few different medical conditions that are strongly associated with:

• Fatigue
• Muscle Weakness
• Stiffness Or Decreased Movement

While the symptoms above can be considered a guide to help associate symptoms common among the conditions below, this is not a substitute for a diagnosis from a health care provider. There are many other medical conditions that also can be associated with your symptoms. Below are the top condition matches for your symptom combination from MedicineNet:

How Is A Pots Diagnosis Made

Problems with the autonomic nervous system can be difficult to diagnose. The standard test for POTS is the tilt table test. During the test, you are secured to a table that tilts from being horizontal to almost a 90-degree angle. The test measures your hearts response to switching from laying down to standing up. Some people with POTS faint during this test, even if they rarely faint standing up.

Although the test seems straightforward, many things can interfere with it. Its important that a POTS specialist oversees it. Its best to work with a doctor who has diagnosed and treated patients with POTS. This could be a cardiologist, a neuromuscular specialist or another doctor.

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What May Cause Headache And Fatigue

Fatigue and headache are shared symptoms of many conditions. Not all of these conditions are considered serious. However, some may require lifestyle changes or ongoing treatment.

As you consider the reasons why you may be experiencing headache and fatigue, make sure to think about your lifestyle, including your sleeping patterns, diet, and any medications youre currently taking.

Here are 16 conditions and other factors that could cause both headache and fatigue:

Get A Good Nights Sleep

Its important to try to get a good nights rest because poor sleep patterns can cause fatigue or make it worse.

If youre having trouble sleeping, or you regularly wake up feeling unrefreshed, it would probably help to look at ways you might be able to sleep better. Healthcare professionals talk about a principle called sleep hygiene, which covers things you can do to improve your chances of getting a good nights sleep.

Too much sleep can also cause fatigue. Thinking about what a good nights sleep means to you, can help. Your activity charts can tell you a lot about how youre sleeping.

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I Have Muscle Weakness

If you have muscle weakness and visit your doctor, they will first need to know the following:

• How it began and how long you have had it for.
• Whether it is getting worse, getting better or staying the same.
• Whether you are otherwise well, are losing weight or have travelled abroad recently.
• What medicines or other drugs you have been taking and whether there are any muscle problems in your family.

Your doctor will need to examine you to see which muscles are affected and whether you have true or perceived muscle weakness. They will check to see whether your muscles are tender to touch or unusually fatigable. They may want to watch you walk.

They will then need to test your nerves to see whether the muscles are getting the right signals to act. Your doctor may need to test your central nervous system, including your balance and co-ordination. They may need to perform blood tests to look for abnormalities of hormones, salts and blood cells.

Depending on the results of these tests your doctor may also order the following:

• Nerve studies to make sure the nerves are conducting properly.
• A muscle biopsy to see whether the muscles themselves show signs of inflammation or damage. A biopsy is a procedure where a small sample is taken to look at under the microscope.
• Body scans such as CT or MRI to look for conditions elsewhere in the body which may affect muscle power and function.

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Fatigue Is Different Than Feeling Tired

Fatigue is different than ordinary tiredness. Fatigue is disruptive and interferes with all aspects of daily living. About 10 million healthcare provider visits each year are attributed to fatigue, and many of those are tied to arthritis-related conditions.

According to the Arthritis Foundation, 98 percent of rheumatoid arthritis patients and 50 percent of people with lupus or Sjogren’s syndrome report fatigue. The percentage escalates with obesity and depression, and complications of secondary conditions such as fibromyalgia, lung conditions, and cardiovascular problems.

People often feel that fatigue is inadequately addressed during healthcare provider visits, likely because there is no quick fix. The impact of fatigue is significant. Many people describe its effect on their lives as greater than pain. Fatigue is extreme weariness, overwhelming exhaustion, a feeling of being “wiped-out,” and having no energyeven after a night’s sleep. Fatigue affects your ability to think, and its unrelenting presence can cause emotions to change quickly.

Here are 10 tips for fighting fatigue. Talk with your healthcare provider and make sure all of these issues have been addressed.

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Related Signs And Symptoms

Body aches are often experienced in conjunction with other symptoms, which can be helpful in determining the underlying cause of your soreness. Common symptoms you might experience in addition to body aches include:

• Fatigue: You may feel tired, fatigued, exhausted, like its difficult to move, or like your body is heavy or weighed down.
• Chills: You may also shiver, feel abnormally cold without any cause, or complain that you feel chills running through your body.
• Fever: Fevers, or body temperatures of more than 100° F , are often associated with feelings of muscle achiness or soreness.
• Headache: Headaches are another symptom commonly linked to body aches.
• Sore throat: Body aches and sore throat, nasal congestion, or runny nose can be experienced simultaneously.

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Common Causes Of Body Aches

Body aches can be a cause of both short-term ailments and long-term conditions. Healthy people may experience body aches after standing, walking, or exercising for a prolonged period of time. In others, body aches are a sign of an underlying medical condition or infection.

Common causes of body aches include:

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Fibromyalgia As A Cause Of Joint Pain And Fatigue

If you havent heard of Fibromyalgia yet, you will be surprised to learn that it causes joint pain and fatigue. It can be termed as a condition that is characterized by fatigue and pain in the joints. While there be little or absolutely no swelling or inflammation in your joints, those plagued by fibromyalgia have reported of severe pain in the neck and shoulder joints. As the condition worsens over time, the pain spreads to the entire body and in the process produces burning, sore or stiff muscles and joints. The fatigue fibromyalgia patients feel can be more debilitating than joint pain. Patients suffering from fibromyalgia say that they suffer from a lack of energy, minimized endurance levels and exhaustion, which is typically seen in people who are down with a bad case of the flu. These people also tend to feel tired after waking up from a good nights sleep.