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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Finding Relief From Fatigue
After looking at these common causes of fatigue in men, you may have a few ideas about where your low energy is coming fromand how to fix it. But you shouldnt start this journey alone. Your best course of action is to consult a practitioner who understands you and your bodys needs and will offer the tests you need to achieve an accurate diagnosis. With all the facts in hand, you can work together to develop a strategy for getting back on track and feeling like yourself again. This may include medications as well as lifestyle changes designed to reinvigorate your mind and body.
Many men assume that fatigue is simply a fact of life as they get older, busier, and take on more responsibilities. But whether its lifestyle-related or the sign of a serious medical issue, you should never ignore persistent fatigue. By getting to the root of what is happening, you can ensure that you protect your physical and emotional health and live life to its fullest.
Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. All content on this website is for informational purposes only. The content is not intended diagnose, treat, cure or prevent diseases.
Home Remedies For Fatigue
If youre having fatigue but arent sure if it warrants a trip to the doctor just yet, Dr. Waters recommends trying to make a few changes at home to see if they help. Those include:
- Take breaks during the day. This can help you refocus.
- Alternate boring tasks with more active ones. That can be as simple as getting up and walking to check your mail after paying your bills online.
- Try to be more physically active. Sometimes fatigue can be due to a lack of activity, Dr. Waters says. Making a point to get the recommended 150 minutes of physical exercise a week may help.
- Make sure you take time for things you enjoy. Stress and even boredom can lead to fatigue, Dr. Waters points out, so trying to get hobbies and other things you like into your day may help.
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Can Emotions Cause Fatigue
Are you fearful about the future? Do you worry about your health and who will take care of you? Are you afraid you are no longer needed? Emotional stresses like these can take a toll on your energy. Fatigue can be linked to many conditions, including:
- Anxiety
- Stress from financial or personal problems
- Feeling that you no longer have control over your life
Not getting enough sleep can also contribute to fatigue. Regular physical activity can improve your sleep. It may also help reduce feelings of depression and stress while improving your mood and overall well-being. Yoga, meditation, or cognitive behavioral therapy could also help you get more rest. Talk with your doctor if your mental well-being is affecting your sleep or making you tired.
Ways To Treat Chronic Fatigue
First and foremost, its important to recognize that fatigue is a symptom, not a disease.
This means that you should know the reason why you feel fatigued.
Nonetheless, there are some ways you can manage your symptoms.
Here are five ways to treat fatigue.
positive lifestyle habits, you can drastically reduce the symptoms of fatigue and get back to your daily activities.
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Viral Or Bacterial Infection And Fatigue
Symptoms: Fatigue, fever, head or body aches.
Fatigue can be a symptom of infections ranging from the flu to HIV. If you have an infection, you’ll probably have other symptoms like fever, head or body aches, shortness of breath, or appetite loss.
Infections that may cause fatigue include:
- Flu
Symptoms: Chronic fatigue, deep muscle pain, painful tender points, sleep problems, anxiety, depression
Fibromyalgia is one of the more common causes of chronic fatigue and musculoskeletal pain, especially in women. Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome are considered separate but related disorders. They share a common symptom: severe fatigue that greatly interferes with people’s lives.
With fibromyalgia, you may feel that no matter how long you sleep, it’s never restful. And you may feel as if you are always fatigued during daytime hours. Your sleep may be interrupted by frequent waking. Yet, you may not remember any sleep disruptions the next day. Some people with fibromyalgia live in a constant fibro fog — a hazy feeling that makes it hard to concentrate.
Constant daytime fatigue with fibromyalgia often results in people not getting enough exercise. That causes a decline in physical fitness. It can also lead to mood-related problems. The best way to offset these effects is to try to exercise more. Exercise has tremendous benefits for sleep, mood, and fatigue.
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Sleeping At The Wrong Time
In addition to inadequate sleep, sleeping at the wrong time can reduce your energy.
Sleeping during the day instead of at night disrupts your bodys circadian rhythm, which are the biological changes that occur in response to light and darkness during a 24-hour cycle.
Research has found that when your sleep pattern is out of sync with your circadian rhythm, chronic fatigue may develop .
This is a common problem among people who perform shift or night work.
Sleep experts estimate that 25% of all shift workers suffer from a sleep disorder characterized by excessive sleepiness or disrupted sleep over a period of one month or more .
Whats more, even staying awake during the night for a day or two can cause fatigue.
In one study, healthy young men were allowed to sleep either seven hours or just under five hours before being kept awake for 2123 hours. Their fatigue ratings increased before and after sleep, regardless of the number of hours they slept .
Its best to sleep during the night whenever possible.
However, if your job involves shift work, there are strategies to retrain your body clock, which should improve your energy levels.
In one study, shift workers reported significantly less fatigue and better mood after being exposed to bright light pulses, wearing dark sunglasses outside and sleeping in total darkness (
Using glasses to block blue light may also help people who perform shift work.
Inadequate protein intake could be contributing to your fatigue.
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Do I Need To See A Doctor
If you can figure out the reason for feeling tired yourself, and do something about it, then no. If the tiredness is getting in the way of your life, or making you feel unhappy, or you feel unwell, then yes, you should visit your doctor.
You should definitely see a doctor if you feel tired and have lost weight without trying to. Also see a doctor if you have other symptoms as well as being tired, such as coughing up blood, a change in the way your guts are working, heavy periods or a lump somewhere it shouldn’t be.
Is It Possible That I Have Pots And Was Incorrectly Diagnosed
This is entirely possible. Given how common POTS symptoms are and how unfamiliar many doctors are with this condition, diagnostic mishaps happen. POTS is frequently misidentified as chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, myofascial pain syndrome, anxiety disorder, ADHD, irritable bowel syndrome, myositis, etc. It is also possible that you have both POTS and one of these conditions, which may complicate the diagnosis. Sometimes people with POTS are told that its all in your head, implying that the cause of their symptoms is psychological. If you feel like something is physically wrong, dont hesitate to seek a second, and even a third or fourth opinion.
COVID-19 and POTS: Is There a Link?
Although many people recover quickly from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, others who recover may continue to experience symptoms for months. Researchers are still determining the cause of these extended symptoms, but some COVID-19 “long-haulers” may actually be dealing with POTS.
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Common Causes Of Chronic Fatigue
How does it feel to have limitations on your daily activities? It may imply a negative impact on how we perceive our lifestyle. Every day, there are habits that people often forget to recheck. Significantly, working day and night without having a good sleep can lead to one of the causes of chronic fatigue. Doctors often suggest that stretching, strength training, and anaerobic exercises can stop these causes. People that want to enhance their endurance and flexibility should go to this site . Improving your core and ensuring that your heart rate is stable defeats the chances of chronic fatigue. Yet, be careful with how you work out and read more information regarding the causes of chronic fatigue.
What Exams Procedures And Tests Diagnose The Cause Of Fatigue
For the evaluation of fatigue, the health care practitioner will take a complete history of the patient’s fatigue, along with questions in regard to associated symptoms. The health care practitioner may inquire about the following activities and symptoms to determine the probable cause of the fatigue:
Quality of Life
Does the level of fatigue remain constant throughout the day? Does the fatigue get worse as the day goes on, or does the fatigue begin at the start of the day? Is there a pattern to the fatigue ? Does the fatigue occur at regular cycles? How is the person’s emotional state? Does the person feel unhappiness or disappointment in life? Sleep pattern determination. How much sleep is the person getting? During what hours does the person sleep? Does the person awake rested or fatigued? How many times does the person awake during sleep? Are they able to fall back asleep? Does the person get regular exercise? Any exercise? Has the person had any new stressors in their life? Change in relationships, jobs, school, or living arrangements? What is the person’s diet? Is there a high intake of coffee, sugar, or excessive amounts of food?
The definitive diagnosis depends on discovering the underlying cause of the fatigue this is determined by evaluating the history, the physical exam and the appropriate test results.
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When Should You Visit A Doctor
Around1.5 million people in Australia visit their doctors for their fatigue each year.
If your fatigue lasts for several days and is starting to affect your everyday life, you should consider seeking medical help.
You should visit a medical specialist about fatigue if you exhibit any of the following:
- Your symptoms interfere with any strenuous physical or mental activity such as work or socializing.
- Youve taken steps to manage stress and get ample sleep but nothing seems to be working.
- You feel like you cant complete day-to-day tasks and need to take naps during the day.
- Extreme fatigue isnt relieved after taking the necessary steps to treat your health.
- You are diagnosed with other symptoms and medical conditions.
- Your mental health is in a bad state or you believe you have depression.
- You have sleeping disorders like sleep apnea.
- Youre experiencing unintentionalweight loss.
- You feel disoriented when trying to remember simple things, such as an appointment.
- Your body temperature is higher than normal.
If youve established routines to stop feeling tired but without any success, its time to schedule an appointment with a medical professional.
Whether youre suffering from fatigue because of lifestyle choices or other issues, the solution is totalk to professionals about it so they can prescribe medical treatment and reduce your symptoms.
Tips For Relieving Fatigue
There are also a lot of strategies to relieve fatigue, and remember that one method may work for you but may not be as effective as another, but here are some of the most common ones that are deemed to be efficient:
- Drink plenty of fluids, especially water
- Get enough sleep every night and take short naps throughout the day if needed
- Restrict your physical activity and allow your body to recover
- Eat a balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables
- Avoid caffeine and alcohol
- Take supplements such as iron or magnesium if you are
Both brain fog and fatigue can be debilitating conditions that affect your daily life. However, by knowing what they are and the most common causes, you can take steps to alleviate these symptoms and improve your quality of life.
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Tired All The Time Here Are The Most Common Causes Of Fatigue In Seniors
Medically reviewed by Dr. Kenneth Knowles, MD on February 16th, 2021
Fatigue is often dismissed as a lack of energy, but its a symptom that can quickly become debilitating. This extreme feeling of weakness and/or tiredness affects everyone differently and has a number of causes. Sometimes the explanation is simple, like not getting enough sleep. On the other hand, fatigue thats occurring frequently could be a symptom of more serious health concerns. For seniors, ongoing fatigue or weakness is often associated with the lattermaking it important to remain cautious and consult with a medical professional when experiencing any new, sudden feelings of fatigue. That said, here are some of the most common causes of fatigue in older adults:
Low On Energy Get Care At Home
If left untreated, the underlying cause of your persistent fatigue may go undetected. So, when youre feeling overly tired, it is best to consult a medical professional as soon as you can. DispatchHealth can help you find the root cause of your ongoing fatigue or weakness. Our on-demand service focuses on bringing personalized, same-day medical care to your home, helping you receive comprehensive medical attention without the stress of arranging for transportation or waiting in a germy room. We treat a wide range of serious conditions, and were in-network with most insurances.
To learn about how DispatchHealth is responding to visit requests during coronavirus or to request care today, simply contact us via phone, mobile app, or website.
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How Can I Increase My Energy
Sufficient potassium, zinc and magnesium levels are needed to keep energy at an optimum, so that’s why we often recommend Balance Mineral Drink to anyone feeling tired or fatigued. As well as these nutrients, Balance contains calcium and vitamin D meaning it can help to support normal muscle function and bone maintenance at the same time.
What Should I Know About Fatigue
What is the Definition of Fatigue?
Fatigue is generally defined as a feeling of lack of energy and motivation that can be physical, mental or both. Fatigue is not the same as drowsiness, but the desire to sleep may accompany fatigue. Apathy is a feeling of indifference that may accompany fatigue or exist independently. In addition, individuals often describe fatigue using a variety of terms including weary, tired, exhausted, malaise, listless, lack of energy and feeling run down.
How Common is Fatigue?
Fatigue is common. About 20% of Americans claim to have fatigue intense enough to interfere with living a normal life. A physical cause has been estimated to be responsible 20% to 60% of the time, while emotional or mental causes comprise the other 40% to 80% of cases of fatigue. Unfortunately, fatigue can occur in normal individuals that experience intense physical or mental activity .
However, in contrast to fatigue that occurs with some diseases and syndromes, normal fatigue in healthy individuals is quickly relieved in a few hours to about a day when the physical or mental activity is reduced. Also, people occasionally experience fatigue after eating , which can be a normal response to food, especially after large meals and this may last about 30 minutes to several hours.
1. Have severe chronic fatigue for at least six months or longer with other known medical conditions excluded by clinical diagnosis and
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How Would You Describe Fatigue Associated With Pots
People with POTS experience fatigue differently. Many describe it as feeling beyond exhausted. Its as if your energy is completely depleted. The fatigue is probably hundreds of times worse than your worst flu. People with POTS may also have trouble concentrating and thinking straight. Doing simple tasks may feel like youve just run a marathon.
This fatigue might come and go, hitting you without warning daily, weekly or less frequently. For some people, extreme fatigue lasts for days. Others may experience periodic attacks. It can come on at any moment even if you just woke up. And there is no amount of sleep or coffee that can make it go away.
