How Does Chronic Fatigue Impact A Persons Life
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or CFS is severe fatigue that lasts for six months or more. Even during resting periods, it may not treat a person diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome. Hence, this complex medical illness often relies on treating the symptoms rather than the disease itself. This disorder is also called Myalgic Encephalomyelitis or ME/CFS, which may disable a person altogether. There are significant consequences of overlooking the symptoms of chronic fatigue. Mostly, there are times when fatigue may look like daytime tiredness or sleepiness. Yet, the first sign of continuous pain and lethargy needs a general physician for further examination and diagnosis.
A Note From Cleveland Clinic
The good news for headache sufferers is that you can choose from many kinds of treatment. If your first treatment plan doesnt work, dont give up. Your healthcare provider can recommend other treatments or strategies to find the right fix for you.
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 06/03/2020.
References
Swelling Or Tingling In Your Extremities
Its not clear what causes the burning, tingling, or numbness many people with fibromyalgia feel. These sensations are known as paresthesia, and they tend to happen randomly. It is possible for them to last constantly, but most patients tend to experience them for shorter periods of time. The numbness or tingling can also be an issue in the morning, but typically wont impair daily functioning.
You may also experience restlessness in your legs. It isnt uncommon for those with fibromyalgia to also have restless leg syndrome and feel the need to move to remain comfortable.
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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.
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Congestion Can Cause Brain Fog
A stuffy, swollen nose can make it difficult to think clearly, often causing a hazy or tried feeling. Many have termed this feeling brain fog, and it results from the congestion and pressure in your nasal and sinus air passages. Without treating allergy symptoms, and sometimes contributing sinus issues, the inflammation, irritation, and runny nose at the root of this issue will keep making you feel foggy.
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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Dont Know How To Fix Your Allergy Fatigue Balloon Sinuplasty At Kaplan Sinus Relief Could Help
Can allergies cause fatigue? Yes. But does knowing that help you fix your allergy fatigue? Not really. And if your allergies havent responded to traditional treatments and are making you tired all the time, then a more strategic approach might be necessary.
At Kaplan Sinus Relief, we help you breathe freely again with procedures like ClariFix for chronic rhinitis and allergies and balloon sinuplasty.
Balloon sinuplasty, a non-invasive, in-office procedure that has provided patients with long-lasting results, and has become an increasingly attractive option for those suffering from allergy-related fatigue. During the procedure, your ENT uses a tiny to balloon to widen the nasal passageways, restore normal drainage, and help you breathe at night.
The best part? The procedure takes less than 20 minutes and most patients are back at work between 24 and 48 hours.
Kaplan Sinus Relief has been a pioneer for the balloon sinuplasty procedure. Our staff is here to answer any of your sinus questions and help you find relief. So, curious whether traditional sinus surgery helps allergies? Wondering if youre a good balloon sinuplasty candidate?
Request an appointment or call Kaplan Sinus Relief at 713-766-1818 today.
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Are Your Allergies Making You Tired
For many of us, environmental allergens like pollen, mold or dander trigger an allergic response, especially during peak seasons when their counts are at their highest. During an allergic reaction, inflammation often develops especially in your eyes, lungs, sinuses and throat. Inflammation can trigger other allergy symptoms including coughing, sneezing or headaches, and can prevent you from getting a good nights rest. The combination of a lack of sleep and congestion often leads to allergy-induced fatigue. If inflammation develops in your ears, they may not be able to drain properly, leading to fluid build-up. Fluid in your middle ear can make you feel dizzy, similar to having your head underwater. The longer you experience allergy symptoms, the more tired you will become, making school, work and other daily activities increasingly difficult.
The first step to managing your allergies is to identify which allergen affect you. Once you have determined the cause, an allergist can help you develop a treatment plan that will limit your exposure to the allergen and alleviate your symptoms.
If you experience allergy-induced brain fog or other allergy symptoms, you can try:
Over-the-counter medication:
Your allergist can help you to determine which medications, including antihistamines*, may be best for you. Antihistamine medications can help to combat feelings of fatigue by temporarily reducing the amount of swelling in your nasal cavity.
Allergy Shots:
Cleaning
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How Can I Help My Child
To help your child cope with the emotional symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome:
- Encourage your child to keep a daily diary to identify times when he or she has the most energy and help plan activities for these times.
- Have your doctor plan an exercise program to maintain strength at whatever level is possible. This can help your child feel better physically and emotionally.
- Help your child to recognize and express feelings, such as sadness, anger, and frustration. It’s OK to grieve the loss of energy.
- Get support from family and friends because emotional health is important when coping with a chronic health problem.
- Allow more time for your child to do things, especially activities that take concentration or physical exertion.
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.
Continued
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:
Continued
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Autonomic Testing Guides Treatment For Improved Autonomic Function
The autonomic nervous system can be tested and evaluated through a process known as spectral analysis. This simple, quick and painless test can provide the critical understanding that helps your physician for their treatment plan.
The ANS can become imbalanced in many different ways. Some ANS dysfunction requires a short course of medication alone or in concert with nutritional strategies to reduce systemic inflammation and oxidative stress in order for the brain to regain maximal function. The safest way to reverse heartburn is with a map of your autonomic nervous systems to guide treatment.
Dr. Nemechek often performs autonomic testing prior to initiating treatment for orthostatic hypotension and other autonomic symptoms . To learn more about this technique contact Dr Patrick Nemechek.
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Your Bodys Internal Clock Is Off
Ever wake up for a super early flight and notice a nagging pain in your head? Disrupting your body’s schedule can trigger headaches, Dr. Hutchinson says.
Getting up earlier than usual can throw off your circadian rhythm. “Travel, in general, is a trigger,” she adds. The stress of traveling, change in barometric pressure, change in time zones, and just being at an airport can all trigger a headache.
Fix it: While sometimes its just not possible to maintain the exact same sleep-wake schedule , its important to try to keep as close to your typical routine as possible. This way, youll limit the disruption to your body clock, and in turn, keep headaches away, or at least more infrequent.
Also, stress relief practices are especially important in hectic travel settingslike loud, crowded airportsto keep nagging head pain under control.
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General Exercise Tips For People With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Be guided by your doctor or specialist, but general suggestions include:
- Experiment to find the type of exercise that works best for you. Choose from a range of gentle activities such as stretching, yoga, tai chi, walking and light weight training.
- Keep an activity diary so you have a long-term picture of your performance levels and factors that might impact on your symptoms.
- Stop the physical activity well before you feel any symptom flare. Pacing yourself is very important.
- Remember that the amount of exercise you can do will change from one day to the next.
- Listen to your body if you dont feel up to exercising on a particular day, dont.
- Find out as much as you can about your ME/CFS. Make sure you consult with health professionals who fully understand ME/CFS as a ‘real’ biomedical condition.
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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:
Is Surprising Or Sudden Weight Gain Serious
Dramatic, unexplained changes in weight can be a sign of a serious health problem. For example, weight loss can be a sign of cancer, while weight gain may be a warning sign of heart failure or thyroid issues. If you experience new bloating or distension in your midsection that is persistent, it could be a sign of ovarian cancer, says Dr. Baechler. Ovarian cancer is uncommon, yet bloating is often one of the first symptoms.
If you have weight gain along with swelling in both of your legs and shortness of breath when you lie flat, you could be showing signs of heart failure, says Ashley Simmons, MD, medical director of the University of Kansas Hospital’s Adelaide C. Ward Women’s Heart Health Center in Kansas City, Kansas. Rapid weight gain, swelling, and retention of fluid can occur when your heart doesnt pump fluid as efficiently as it should.
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You Have A Chronic Disease
Headache is a common side effect of many chronic health conditions like fibromyalgia, lupus, and diabetes. However, constant headaches would typically accompany other symptoms. For instance, lupus features headaches alongside symptoms like fatigue, joint pain, and skin lesions that get worse when exposed to the sun, according to Mayo Clinic.
Fix it: If you have chronic headaches, it’s always worth talking to your doctor if anything feels off with your body to figure out if an underlying condition could be causing your issues. Even if youre unsure and think it may be something minor, dont delay seeking medical attention. Be your own health advocate.
Can Black Mold Cause Fatigue
The most common black mold symptoms and health effects are associated with a respiratory response. Chronic coughing and sneezing, irritation to the eyes, mucus membranes of the nose and throat, rashes, chronic fatigue and persistent headaches can all be symptomatic of black mold exposure or black mold poisoning.
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What Are Signs Of Mold In Your House
What are the signs of mold? It has a musty, earthy smell. Theres a nearby source of moisture, but not much light. You see warping, cracking, or peeling of whatever material its growing on. A drop of bleach lightens its color in a minute or two. Unchecked, mold will continue to grow. Dirt and old stains wont.
Can Back Pain Be Stopped
Repeating back pain resulting from improper body auto mechanics might be stopped by avoiding motions that jolt or stress the back, maintaining correct stance, and raising objects appropriately. Lots of work-related injuries are caused or aggravated by stressors such as hefty training, call anxiety , resonance, repetitive movement, and also unpleasant pose. Lower Back Pain Fatigue Nausea Headaches
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Changes To Bowel Habits
Pancreatic cancer can cause diarrhoea and constipation . If you are over 60, have lost weight and have diarrhoea or constipation, your GP should refer you for a CT scan or ultrasound scan within two weeks.
Pancreatic cancer can also cause pale, oily poo which is called steatorrhoea. Poo may be large, smell horrible, float and can be difficult to flush down the toilet. This is caused by fat in the poo. It happens if pancreatic cancer has affected your digestion, so that fat in your food isnt digested properly.
Concussion Not Needing Imaging
A traumatic brain injury , or concussion, happens when a bump, blow, jolt, or other head injury causes damage to the brain. Every year, millions of people in the U.S. suffer brain injuries. More than half are bad enough that people must go to the hospital, and the worst injuries can lead to permanent brain damage or death.
Rarity: Common
Top Symptoms: dizziness, irritability, depressed mood, difficulty concentrating, trouble sleeping
Symptoms that always occur with concussion not needing imaging: head or face injury
Symptoms that never occur with concussion not needing imaging: recent fall from 6 feet or higher, severe vomiting, posttraumatic amnesia over 30 minutes, slurred speech, fainting, moderate vomiting
Urgency: Primary care doctor
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How Are Headaches Treated
One of the most crucial aspect of treating headaches is figuring out your triggers. Learning what those are typically by keeping a headache log can reduce the number of headaches you have.
Once you know your triggers, your healthcare provider can tailor treatment to you. For example, you may get headaches when youre tense or worried. Counseling and stress management techniques can help you handle this trigger better. By lowering your stress level, you can avoid stress-induced headaches.
Not every headache requires medication. A range of treatments is available. Depending on your headache type, frequency and cause, treatment options include:
Stress management
Stress management teaches you ways to cope with stressful situations. Relaxation techniques are helpful in managing stress. You use deep breathing, muscle relaxation, mental images and music to ease your tension.
Biofeedback
Biofeedback teaches you to recognize when tension is building in your body. You learn how your body responds to stressful situations and ways to settle it down. During biofeedback, sensors are connected to your body. They monitor your involuntary physical responses to headaches, which include increases in:
- Breathing rate.
- Brain activity.
Medications
Occasional tension headaches usually respond well to over-the-counter pain relievers. But be aware that using these medications too often can lead to a long-term daily headache.
