Saturday, March 23, 2024

Can Anxiety Cause Fatigue And Weakness

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Your B12 Levels Are Low

Anxiety Causing Fatigue, Muscle Tension, or Exhaustion?

Vitamin B12 is found in animal products, so vegans and vegetarians are most at risk for being deficient, as well as people with gastrointestinal issues, who may have difficulty absorbing the vitamin, and people on heartburn and reflux medications. The important vitamin is needed in order to make red blood cells and DNA and plays a major role in nerve function and mood. B12 helps to maintain the myelin sheath surrounding nerve cells, which make it possible for cells to communicate.

But when levels are low, this communication becomes compromised, which can lead to neurological changes. B12 is also involved in the production of serotonin and other neurotransmitters that regulate mood, so low levels could cause changes in the nervous system.

One study in the journal BMC Psychiatry followed 115 people with depression for six months and found that those with higher levels of B12 had a greater chance of recovery from depression, leading scientists to believe there is an association between B12 and mental health. Low levels of B12 have even been linked to .

Sleep Disorders And Fatigue

Symptoms: Chronic fatigue, feeling exhausted upon awakening, snoring

Sleep disorders are a group of conditions that disrupt or prevent restful, restorative sleep. That can take a toll on your health and quality of life, so its important to look out for signs and symptoms.

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Sleep apnea is one of the most common sleep disorders. If you or your partner notices loud snoring and you wake up tired and stay that way, you could have sleep apnea. More than one-third of adults in the U.S. snore at least a few nights a week. But if the snoring stops your breathing for seconds at a time, it could be sleep apnea. Learn more about the best sleep positions and see if sleeping on your stomach is bad or not.

Obstructive sleep apnea causes low blood oxygen levels. That’s because blockages prevent air from getting to the lungs. The low oxygen levels also affect how well your heart and brain work. Sometimes, the only clue that you might have sleep apnea is chronic fatigue.

Your doctor may prescribe a medical device called CPAP that helps keep your airways open while you sleep. In severe cases of sleep apnea, surgery may help. The surgeon will remove tissues that are blocking the airways. If left untreated, sleep apnea can increase your risk of a stroke or heart attack.

But sleep apnea is just one of many sleep disorders that cause fatigue. Other common types include:

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Shift Work Sleep Disorder

Shift work can wreak havoc on your body’s 24-hour internal clock, or circadian rhythm. When you work nights or rotate shifts, your body doesn’t know when to be awake and when to sleep, which causes fatigue.

Daylight is often a cue to be awake. If you must sleep during the day, try to make your sleeping area as dark, cool, and quiet as possible. If you must work at night, keep your workplace brightly lit. Try to work night shifts all in a row and avoid frequently rotating shifts. Stay away from caffeine, and stick to a regular sleep-wake schedule as much as possible on days off.

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Can Anxiety Cause A Feeling Of Muscle Weakness

Yes! Anxiety can cause both a feeling of muscle weakness and actual muscle weakness. For more information, you can read why anxiety can cause a feeling of muscle weakness. You can also read how to get rid of a feeling of muscle weakness.

Since there are many medical conditions and medications that can cause a feeling of muscle weakness, we recommend discussing this symptom with your doctor to rule out a medical cause.

Fast Fix For Mild Fatigue

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Some of us are simply tired with no medical cause. The good news is that exercise may give us a boost. Studies consistently show that people who engage in regular exercise feel less fatigue than those who don’t. When exercising for energy stay in the low-to-moderate exertion range, such as walking, yoga, or light resistance training to fight fatigue.

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    Chronic Fatigue Syndrome And Fibromyalgia

    Chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia are conditions that can cause persistent, unexplained fatigue that interferes with daily activities for more than six months.

    Both conditions are chronic and there is no one-size-fits-all treatment, but lifestyle changes can often help ease some symptoms of fatigue. Strategies include good sleep habits , relaxation techniques, light exercise, pacing yourself, and eating a balanced diet.

    How Is Fatigue Managed

    Making sure you have good quality sleep can help you manage fatigue. Ensure you go to bed at the same time each night and stick to healthy sleep habits.

    Eating a healthy diet and doing regular physical activity will also help improve your sleep and lessen fatigue. Eat small, frequent meals throughout the day with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables avoid junk food and try to avoid alcohol and caffeine since these can affect your sleep.

    If you have fatigue, talk to your doctor about whether it is safe to drive or carry out your normal work duties.

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    Stress Causes Fatigue By Lowering Your Intelligence

    One of the other ways of stress causes fatigue is because it can indirectly harm energy levels is that it can quite literally make you dumber. It can actually shut down the centers of the brain involved in higher thought processes. According to Amsten et al, Prefrontal cortical areas, which serve as the brains executive command centers, normally hold our emotions in check by sending signals to tone down activity in primitive brain systems. Under even everyday stresses, the prefrontal cortex can shut down, allowing the amygdala, a locus for regulating emotional activity, to take over, inducing mental paralysis and panic.

    The reason this happens is that the kind of stresses our nervous system evolved for are not the same type of stresses we deal with today. If we had to run from a bear or from a rival tribe, we want the fear circuits to activate and switch on primitive survival physiology to help us get out of that physical danger.

    To make matters worse, its actually shutting down our self-control and higher-thinking centers, which makes it hard for us to even become aware of our self-sabotage behaviors and get ourselves back on track. In short, stress makes you act like youre a lot less intelligent than you really are. And because poor lifestyle decisions impact your energy, this is another way stress causes fatigue.

    Who Gets Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

    Symptoms of Dizziness, Lightheadedness, Chronic Fatigue and Anxiety

    Chronic fatigue syndrome can affect people of all ethnicities and ages, but is most common in people in their forties or fifties. It’s very rare in kids. A few teens do get CFS, and it affects more girls than guys.

    Sometimes different people in the same family get CFS. This may be because the tendency to develop CFS is genetic.

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    Dehydration And Inadequate Nutrition

    Staying hydrated and getting proper nutrition is important for keeping your energy levels up. Research shows that a lack of fluid intake is associated with increased sleeplessness, fatigue, and irritability.

    Not getting enough calories in your diet can also leave you feeling tired all the time, as can eating too many refined carbohydrates or not getting enough protein. Allergies to foods such as wheat, peanuts, or dairy may also contribute to tiredness.

    You’re Having Trouble Getting Out Of Bed

    It can be nice to stay in when you’re feeling tired, or like you need a night alone. But if this becomes your MO, take note. “When isolation seems like a good idea, perhaps the symptoms are not just from a long week, or year, but perhaps even years of the drain that stress has taken,” Davis says. If that sounds like you, consider checking in with your therapist to give yourself a mental health tune-up.

    Experts:

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    What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Cushings Syndrome

    Common symptoms of Cushings syndrome include upper body obesity, severe fatigue and muscle weakness, high blood pressure, backache, elevated blood sugar, easy bruising, and bluish-red stretch marks on the skin. In women, there may be increased growth of facial and body hair, and menstrual periods may become irregular or stop completely.

    Cushing syndrome. Cushing syndrome Left untreated, Cushing syndrome can result in exaggerated facial roundness, weight gain around the midsection and upper back, thinning of your arms and legs, easy bruising and stretch marks.

    Why Do My Legs Feel Weak And Tired

    Get Rid from Weakness / Tiredness Problems

    Stress, including anxiety-caused stress, can make your legs feel weak and tired. Many people experience legs that feel weak and tired when they are anxious, stressed, or afraid. For more information, read why anxiety can cause a weak and tired feeling in the legs. You can also read how to get rid of legs that feel weak and tired.

    There are many medical conditions and medications that can cause legs to feel weak and tired. You should discuss this symptom with your doctor to rule out a medical cause.

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    Stress Causes Fatigue By Making You Hungry And Crave Sugar

    Sugar cravings can lead to making poor food choices, which is another way that stress causes fatigue and can kill your energy. If you are going for soda, doughnuts, candy, energy drinks, or cookies, it is a recipe for terrible energy levels.

    The main reason why refined sugar can wreck your energy is the neurotransmitter orexin, which is the single most important neurotransmitter when it comes to wakefulness and energy levels. Dont get thrown off by these sciency terms like neurotransmitter and orexin. All you need to remember is this: High Orexin = High Energy. And Low Orexin = Low Energy.

    Poor food choices will directly impact on orexin for several reasons:

    • Large glycemic loads directly suppress orexin
    • Low fiber content and low protein content of the meals. Processed food rich in sugar tends to be low in both fiber and protein, which further suppresses orexin
    • Poor food choices tend to increase inflammation, and inflammation is the most potent suppressor of orexin

    Energy Drinks, especially, causes fatigue as they sap your energy levels. Check out how energy drinks causes fatigue HERE

    So while those sugary foods may give you an initial jolt of energy, they are making your energy worse in the long haul.

    Can Anxiety Cause Muscle Weakness And Twitching

    Yes! Just as anxiety can cause weak feeling muscles, it can also cause muscle twitching. Consequently, anxiety can cause both muscle weakness and twitching at the same time. For more information, you can read more about the anxiety muscle twitching symptom.

    There are also some medical conditions and medications that can cause muscle weakness and twitching. We recommend discussing this symptom with your doctor to rule out a medical cause.

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    Tight Muscles And Soreness

    Anxious people instinctively clench their muscles your jaw might be sore, you might have tense temples, and your legs may ache. Its nothing to panic about. Its a symptom of anxiety.

    Were not saying a massage will cure anxietybut it wont hurt, either. There is some science-backed evidence that muscle relaxation therapies actually help with the underlying worry. So dont feel bad about booking your favorite masseuse.

    Does Anxiety Cause Muscle Weakness

    Fatigue, Causes, Signs and Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment.

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    How To Fix Mental Fatigue

    The stress, worries, and negative thinking that are a part of your anxiety are unpleasant and unsettling, and over a long period of time theyre impossible to tolerate.

    In order to cope your mind will either repress these psychological problems or be in denial that they exist.

    This is incredibly hard work on your mind, and eventually your mind will tire. When that happens youll feel mental fatigue kick in.

    If mental fatigue is caused by the denial and repression of these psychological problems, the solution is to fully acknowledge them.

    If you consciously and consistently acknowledge your stress, worries, and negative thoughts your mind will quickly catch on that denial and repression no longer work, and the battle thats been going on in your mind will be over.

    There are 2 good methods to acknowledge your stress, worries, and negative thoughts:

    Youre Lacking In Vitamin D

    If youve got a job that keeps you indoors most of the day, chances are you may be part of the 42 percent of Americans with a vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D is created by your body when sunlight hits the skin and is found in fatty fishes like salmon and tuna, eggs, and mushrooms.

    Most people associate low vitamin D with wintertime and seasonal depression, but it can hit at any time of year. A thorough review of studies analyzing depression and vitamin D concluded that lower vitamin D levels were found in people with depression compared to controls.

    Scientists also found that when depressed individuals received vitamin D supplementation for one year, they had significant improvements in symptoms of depression compared with depressed people taking a placebo. The area of the brain associated with depression is also a site of vitamin D receptors, posing one possible explanation for the link between the two.

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    When Do You Take Too Much Cortisol You Get Cushing Syndrome

    However, when the level of cortisol is too high in your body, you may develop Cushing syndrome. Cushing syndrome can develop from a cause outside of your body . One example is taking oral corticosteroid medications in high doses over an extended period of time.

    Treatments for Cushing syndrome can return your bodys cortisol production to normal and noticeably improve your symptoms. The earlier treatment begins, the better your chances for recovery. The signs and symptoms of Cushing syndrome can vary depending on the levels of excess cortisol.

    Other Causes Of Palpitations

    Everyone Must Know About These Symptoms Of Low Blood Pressure

    In addition to anxiety, there are several other causes of heart palpitations. Palpitations can be brought on by:

    • Alcohol. Having one or two too many drinks in a night can get your heart racing. People who rarely drink to excess, but do so at the occasional party may feel a fluttering in their chest later. This is sometimes called holiday heart.
    • Caffeine. Each persons caffeine sensitivity is unique. You might drink three cups of coffee every morning and feel fine. A co-worker might try that and develop palpitations, headache, and other side effects. With the popularity of high-caffeine beverages, such as specialty coffees and canned energy drinks, researchers are learning more about how high levels of caffeine can lead to heart rhythm disturbances, high blood pressure, and other problems.
    • Chocolate. Palpitations can develop from eating too much at one sitting. Overdoing your food intake at a dinner or other event can lead to a version of holiday heart. Chocolate is particularly associated with palpitations.
    • Medications. Cold medicines that contain pseudoephedrine may trigger heart palpitations and jittery feelings.

    For some people, palpitations are signs of an arrhythmia, a problem with the hearts electrical system that controls your heartbeats. A normal, resting heart rate is between 60 and 100 beats per minute. There are several types of arrhythmias. Each type produces unique symptoms, including an irregular heart rate. Among them are:

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    Effects Of Depression And Anxiety On Your Overall Health

    Q1. Can anxiety or depression cause physical weakness, particularly in the legs and arms? This happens to me daily at different times.

    Diane, South Carolina

    Depression is associated with fatigue and low energy, but not actual weakness. Some people with anxiety have fluctuating feelings of numbness or weakness in their limbs, especially during intense anxiety or panic attacks. The history of such complaints, coupled with the findings of a physical examination, can help separate these kinds of physical symptoms from those associated with other conditions that cause weakness, such as multiple sclerosis.

    Regardless of the cause of your physical symptoms of weakness, worrying about your health can be quite disruptive and lessen your quality of life and productivity. The best remedy for this type of worry is to get a good medical evaluation and, if recommended by your doctor, a more detailed assessment by a specialist who can determine the cause of your symptoms.

    Although a diagnosis should not be made on the basis of such a short description, it sounds very much as if you may be in the midst of what is called a major depressive episode. First, you should not feel alone at least 1 in 10 people will suffer from depression in his or her lifetime typically, the first episode develops during a period of increased stress.

    Stacy, Oaklahoma

    Amy, Georgia

    Learn more in the Everyday Health Depression Center.

    You Have Unstable Blood Sugar

    You dont have to be diabetic to have a blood sugar problem. We help many of our patients here at Parsley Health pull the brakes on the rollercoaster of symptoms theyve been experiencing from spikes and dips in blood sugar.

    Take a typical on-the-go breakfast for many people: a pastry and sugary coffee drink. That wave of sugar creates a rapid spike in your blood sugar and causes your pancreas to release insulin to stabilize it. As your blood sugar returns to normal, you crash, feeling tired. Youll also feel hungry again pretty quickly, leading you to reach for carbs and perpetuating the cycle.

    All that sugar adds up. When people consumed 40g of added sugar a day in the form of a can of soda for three weeks, they showed at least a 60 percent increase in high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, a marker for inflammation. Inflammation has been associated with many chronic diseases, including depression. Learning to eat a combination of , protein, and healthy fat at each meal and never skipping a meal can help you maintain steady blood sugar throughout the day and tame inflammation.

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