Thursday, March 21, 2024

Extreme Fatigue After Hospital Stay

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My Husband Is Getting Better And Better

3 Ways to Recover From Muscle Fatigue with Dr. Matt Salzler | Tufts Medical Center

My name is Monica Davis but the person who is using the FitMi is my husband, Jerry. I first came across FitMi on Facebook. I pondered it for nearly a year. In that time, he had PT, OT and Speech therapy, as well as vision therapy.

I got a little more serious about ordering the FitMi when that all ended 7 months after his stroke. I wish I hadnt waited to order it. He enjoys it and it is quite a workout!

He loves it when he levels up and gets WOO HOOs! It is a wonderful product! His stroke has affected his left side. Quick medical attention, therapy and FitMi have helped him tremendously!

Monica & Jerrys FitMi review

Can You Prevent Grogginess

An operation is a major life event. Make sure you get adequate rest and have enough support at work and home before your surgery.

A bit of anxiety is normal before surgery and can also be exhausting. You can reduce your anxiety by asking for clear explanations of what to expect, and by maintaining a warm, comfortable and calm waiting environment.

If you are very anxious, your anaesthetist can give you a sedative pre-med before you go to theatre. But the use of sedatives is a balancing act, as the calming effect before the procedure is desirable but not the hangover drowsiness afterwards, which may last for several hours.

Your anaesthetist is the medically trained specialist who can not only give you a pre-med but will look after you during your operation and plan your recovery. He or she will develop an individualised anaesthetic plan based on short-acting anaesthetics and a combination of pain-killings drugs.

Your anaesthetist will also advise you how to best control your pain after surgery and when you return home. This will often involve using simple pain medicines, such as paracetamol and anti-inflammatory drugs, as well as opioids, which you will need to treat strong pain. Using simple pain medicines will help to reduce the doses of opioids that you need, and help you to avoid the nausea, constipation and grogginess that goes with them.

Q When Should You See A Doctor For Your Fatigue

A. Talk to yourprovider as soon as you or those around you experience any amount of concern.Simply expressing the problem should lead to a discussion about thetopic.

Your provider will likelywant to evaluate you to determine the severity of your symptoms and potentialcauses. Typically, the evaluation starts with a thorough history and physicalexam.

Doctors also use specificquestions to measure how tired you feel. Terms like feeling tired,experiencing fatigue, having lack of energy and feeling especially sleepyare often used interchangeably. However, its important for your provider todistinguish between them to figure out the cause.

Based on your responses,your doctor can figure out the appropriate approach for diagnosing you. You mayneed additional testing, such as lab work, imaging or sleep studies, todetermine the cause. Once your provider gets to the bottom of the fatigueissue, they can work with you on how to solve it.

Read Also: Causes Of Chronic Fatigue And Sleepiness

Getting Support For Post

If you struggle with post-stroke fatigue, reach out for help from your medical team.

Your doctor may be able to adjust your medication if fatigue is listed as a side effect of any current prescriptions.

If you have demanding secondary effects, like post-stroke pain or paralysis, your therapist might be able to help. For example, they can try electrical stimulation to see if it helps accelerate recovery.

Ultimately, you should experiment with as many treatments as possible until you find something that helps you. Remember to pace yourself and rest when you need it. Good luck!

The Pain Doesn’t End When You Leave The Hospital

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While its been a few years since Ive had long hospital stays, it doesnt take the sting of realizing those are days I will never get back. I have gotten better at coping with these stressful and draining situations, but regardless, bouncing back is a challenge.

We all lose time and it isnt necessarily due to illness. While Im happy to be home, its not all rainbows and sunshine. I think its important to recognize once someone is out of the hospital, that doesnt make them instantly well. It just makes them stable enough to go home. Im still fairly sick. Im also recovering from a great deal of sleep deprivation because the hospital world does not sleep.

Ive been out for about two weeks. Simple things like showering and doing my hair are completely exhausting. Showers are like a race to get out, rather than a time of relaxation. There have been times when Ill get out of the shower only to lie on a towel to recover for a few minutes. It feels good to have clean skin, and I know its important, as the sores from the heart monitor leads heal up. I hope they dont scar.

Ive learned over the years to be diligent about self-care. If I start to feel overly anxious once I get home, Ill play ukulele or sing. During these past two hospitalizations, I put all school work and writing on hold. Instead, I read books for enjoyment and watched TV for entertainment. I did the best I could.

This article previously was published at Ravishly.

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How Is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Treated

There is no cure for CFS. Treatment is aimed at easing symptoms.

Treatment may include:

  • Medicine, including corticosteroids and antidepressants
  • Activity management, including a careful balancing of rest and activity to prevent flare-ups
  • Light-intensity aerobic exercise, but not moderate to vigorously intense physical activity
  • Dietary supplements and herbal products
  • Psychotherapy and supportive counseling

How To Regain Leg Strength After Hospitalization

At some point in everyone’s life, a prolonged illness or injury will likely require a hospital stay. Even if you’re the Incredible Hulk, you can expect to lose some muscle mass and strength â after as little as one week, according to a 2016 study in Diabetes. However, take heart. The body has an amazing capacity to repair itself once you’re on the road to recovery. The best way to regain leg strength depends on your current physical abilities and energy level.

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Tip

Walking and body weight exercises will help you regain leg strength when you return home from the hospital.

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Coronavirus: Recovery After A Hospital Stay

When the coronavirus pandemic started, nobody knew how many people would need treatment for COVID-19 in the hospital. What the rehabilitation specialists at Johns Hopkins Medicine did know, however, was that people hospitalized with COVID-19 would likely experience the same impairments as people hospitalized with other viral respiratory infections such as the respiratory syncytial virus and the H1N1 virus .

While much remains to be determined about the coronavirus, says Ann Parker, M.D., Ph.D., a pulmonary and critical care physician, there is also a lot that we already know about recovery from a respiratory disease like COVID-19.

Get Back Into Good Sleep Habits

Managing Fatigue: Post Hospitalization

After a procedure, you can combat the disruption to your body clock by practising good sleep hygiene. This involves maximising cues to the body that it is time to sleep in the evening. These could include avoiding stimulants like caffeine and alcohol, going to bed at a similar time each night, being in a dimly lit room and engaging in calming or restful activities before sleep, like reading.

Making sure you are exposed to bright sunshine during the day and avoiding back-lit screens on technology devices in the evening can also help.

Lingering grogginess after general anaesthesia is hardly ever sinister. But if it is persistent, getting worse rather than better, or is associated with confusion, weakness or numbness, then you must see your doctor.

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What Can Cause Fatigue In Elderly

In the elderly, fatigue can be caused by a variety of underlying issues. Generally, fatigue occurs when the bodys metabolism, oxygen supply, hormone levels, or mental and emotional state are disrupted. Some of the most common causes include depression, issues with blood circulation, impaired breathing , hormone imbalances like hypothyroidism, malnutrition, and metabolic issues like diabetes mellitus.

Medical Causes Of Fatigue

Certain medical conditions and chronic diseases may also cause fatigue in the elderly. Some of these conditions include:

Anemia. This occurs when you have a low red blood cell count, making your body have to work harder in order to get your cells the oxygen they need. This can result in fatigue due to the extra strain on your body.

Sleep disorders. Sleep disorders like sleep apnea interfere with sleep cycles and can create disturbances throughout the night that prevents the sufferer from achieving meaningful rest. This lack of proper sleep over a period of time may lead to fatigue.

Thyroid issues. Hypothyroidism is more common with age and is characterized by lower thyroid function than normal. Those with hypothyroidism may experience fatigue along with weight gain, constipation, and hair loss.

Inflammatory disorders. Issues tied to inflammation, such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, can cause fatigue, as well as joint stiffness and pain.

Cancer. Cancer cells grow and spread rapidly, which can use a lot of an individuals energy resources and leave them feeling fatigued.

Chronic fatigue syndrome. Chronic fatigue syndrome does not have a known trigger but can cause someone to experience fatigue persistently over the course of many months and years.

Chronic Infection. Chronic infections such as tuberculosis and HIV can cause significant fatigue in patients.

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How Do You Help Your Body Recover After A Hospital Stay

  • October 4, 2019 at 10:07 pm#20629Colleen SteeleKeymaster

    Brittany, my answer would be sleep, sleep and more sleep. Another way my son would recover is by playing computer games. He always said it helped distract him from his discomfort and unwind after all he had been through. It sounds like you use your work in a similar way.

    Have you ever tried a sound machine? My son has used one or an app on his phone. He finds rain sounds soothing and it helps relax and lull him to sleep when he feels stressed or struggling with health issues.

  • October 4, 2019 at 10:13 pm#20632Keymaster

    Colleen,I definitelt need all the sleep I can get. My sleep pattern always gets thrown off up to weeks after a hospital stay. I have a lot of trouble falling asleep at night so I usually try to get a lot of naps in during the day when I can. It will be a busy week next week of follow up appointments so I definitely will need a lot of rest and relaxation over the weekend. I havent tried sound machines but I sleep with a loud fan and that helps me to fall asleep.

  • October 7, 2019 at 1:20 pm#20674Brittany FosterKeymaster

    I seriously CANT wait, Jen! It was the best surprise ever to be able to meet her in person and I cant wait to write all about the experience. It is truly once in a lifetime opportunity and I cant get over the dedication of complete strangers to make this happen for me ! Definitely what my wish would be is to meet Carrie Underwood in person and its HAPPENING on Thursday !

  • Exercise And Physical Stress

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    Exercise and other activities such as strenuous work normally cause fatigue because such activity stresses the body. In order to recover, the body triggers a fatigue response so that the person will be encouraged to rest. This is a normal stress-recovery cycle. Undergoing surgery where the body is given medications and traumatized by procedures can cause fatigue as the body enters into the repairing and healing mode.

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    What Does Post Covid

    Have you been waking up every morning post-Covid with an ache that makes you squeal in pain? You are NOT alone. Plus, as the day progresses, you experience a slump in your energy levels. And before you know it, you are drowning in drowsiness, even after having multiple cups of coffee. Welcome to a world where this has become oh-so-normal.

    Lets get to the reasons now. Dr Dipu TS explains why this happens.

    It could be due to a continuing response to the coronavirus, even though the infection has gotten better. It could also be due to the effect of a serious illness. Fatigue caused by pneumonia can take up to 6 months to resolve. In some people, there will be other reasons that make it last a long time. Low levels of physical activity, a disturbed daily routine, poor sleep patterns, demanding work, anxiety, and stress can all make fatigue worse.

    Q How Do You Know If Fatigue Is A Sign Of A Possible Health Issue

    A. Signs that your fatigue could be a symptom ofsomething more include:

    • Lack of physicalor mental energy.
    • Inability to stayawake and alert or initiate activity.
    • Unintentionallyfalling asleep or falling asleep at inappropriate times.
    • Reduced capacityto maintain or complete an activity.
    • Becoming easilyfatigued.
    • Difficulty withconcentration, memory or emotional stability.

    Tiredness affecting your ability to work, socialize and participate in family activities is also a red flag as is you or your family needing to make accommodations to deal with your symptoms.

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    Sub Analysis Of Patients Enrolled Not Admitted To Intensive Care Unit

    In order to minimize the possible biases between the two groups, we also evaluated our data after removing the patients hospitalized in ICU from both groups . Obtained results were as follows: the group administered with probiotics was characterized by a significantly lower prevalence of fatigued subjects with respect to the one not taking oral bacteriotherapy . The group administered with probiotics was characterized by significantly lower FAS score values than the one not taking oral bacteriotherapy . For what concerns the metabolic variables no changes has been observed respect to what reported in the manuscript except for Arginine for which no significant differences has been determined between the OB and the OB+ one at T1 .

    Hospitalization For Seniors: A Common Challenge

    Soreness and fatigue after second dose of COVID-19 vaccine

    Millions of elderly adults get admitted to, and discharged from, the hospital each year. According to research cited by PBS News Hour, about 13 million seniors are hospitalized per year, and adults over 65 account for more than one-third of all discharges. These hospital stays may be brief, or last for weeks. Seniors may be admitted to help manage a chronic health condition, undergo surgery, or seek treatment for a health emergency, such as a painful fall or a sudden heart attack or stroke. In fact, according to data from the Washington Post, as many as 1.4 million seniors pass through the ICU every year.

    Whatever their reason for checking in, hospital stays can be particularly challenging for seniors. For older adults, staying in a hospital can be a disorienting, confusing, and physically draining experience. Hospitals are often high stress environments, and the conditions can make it difficult for seniors to relax or get enough sleep. During a hospital stay, doctors may also change an older adults medication regimen or care routine. Surgery or the aftereffects of treatment can also affect a seniors ability to move freely, care for themselves, and perform routine activities of daily living , such as bathing, dressing, grooming, and walking.

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    The Physical Side Effects Of Being Bedridden

    While prolonged hospital stays are intended to restore your body, long periods of bedrest may result in various physical side effects. BreakThrough Care Center physician, Dr. Karl Szafranski, shares insights to help prepare you for physical changes that you may experience with a long hospital stay.

    Pressure SoresIt is difficult to change positions and move your body to keep blood flowing when confined to a hospital bed. Periods of bedrest puts pressure on your body, diminishing blood supply, which can result in pressure sores commonly referred to as bed sores. Pressure sores can arise as early as two hours into a hospital stay and are often found on the lower back, tailbone, heels, elbows and hips. To help prevent the onset, your nurse will help you to periodically shift positions.

    Weak Bones and MusclesLong hospital stays may affect your bones and muscles, as you are unable to stretch and move around as normal. Your bones bear your weight as you stand and walk, while your muscles work to get you where you need to go. Due to the inactivity you experience when your body is in recovery mode, your bones and muscles weaken, which makes your body more prone to fractures and stiff joints.

    Constipation and Digestive IssuesIn addition to maintaining the strength of your muscles and bones, movement helps regulate your digestive system. While part of your healing process, bedrest can contribute to constipation or gut issues for several reasons, including:

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    Patients Need More Support From Our Healthcare System After Icu Stays

    In terms of living with PICS, I consider myself lucky. My symptoms are generally manageable. But just because my symptoms arent crippling doesnt mean Im not affected.

    I put off routine medical appointments, including my mammogram. And though I moved in 2016, I still drive two hours each way to see my primary care doctor every six months. Why? Because the idea of finding a new doctor fills me with dread.

    I cant live my life waiting for the next emergency before I see a new doctor, but I also cant seem to get past the anxiety that keeps me from managing my healthcare properly.

    Which makes me wonder: If doctors know a high number of patients are likely to experience PICS, with the crippling anxiety and depression that often goes along with it, following an ICU stay, then why isnt mental health part of the aftercare discussion?

    After my ICU stay, I went home with antibiotics and a list of follow-up appointments with several doctors. No one ever told me when I was discharged from the hospital that I might experience PTSD-like symptoms.

    Everything I know about PICS Ive learned through my own research and self-advocacy.

    In the three years since my near-death experience, Ive talked to other people whove also experienced emotional trauma following an ICU stay, and not one of them was warned or prepared for PICS.

    Yet articles and journal studies discuss the importance of recognizing the risk of PICS in both patients and their families.

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