Questions A Doctor May Ask Include The Following:
- Do you feel drowsy or weak?
- Do you feel down or depressed?
- Has your fatigue developed slowly or suddenly?
- Is it cyclical or constant?
- What do you think the cause might be?
- Have you experienced any significant life events recently?
- Is your life in balance? Consider work, relationships, physical, emotional, social, sense of worth and recreation.
Drink Plenty Of Water
Dehydration zaps energy and impairs physical performance. âOur research shows that dehydration makes it harder for athletes to complete a weight lifting workout,â says Dan Judelson, PhD, assistant professor of kinesiology at California State University at Fullerton. “Itâs reasonable to think that dehydration causes fatigue even for people who are just doing chores.”
Dehydration has also been shown to decrease alertness and concentration.
How to know if youâre drinking enough water?âUrine should be pale yellow or straw colored,â Judelson says. âIf itâs darker than that, you need to drink water.â
Sip Some Potato Water
While a brimming glass of fresh potato water may not sound like the first thing youd want to relax on a hot summer day with, its actually a great home remedy for fatigue. Soaking slices of potato in water makes a potassium rich drink that can help you feel less tired and sluggish, as it replenishes a mineral many people have trouble getting enough of. Like magnesium, the body does not produce potassium-we have to consume it from outside sources. Because our diets these days tend to lean towards being nutrient deficient, its no wonder we find ourselves lacking in the potassium department.
Potassium doesnt give you a direct jolt of energy, per say, but along with magnesium it is an electrolyte that is vital for the proper functioning of our cells and the release of energy and the conduction of electricity. Without enough of it, our muscles wouldnt move properly and our nerve impulses wouldnt fire right. By ensuring you have healthy levels of potassium, you can get an edge on feeling dull and tired all the time.
You will need-8 ounces of fresh water
DirectionsSlice up the potato and add to a glass of water. Allow it to steep overnight in the fridge, and drink first thing in the morning.
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Check For Vitamin Deficiencies
Vitamin D deficiency affects most of the population. If you havent topped up your levels during the summer because of work or fatigue making you stay inside, you may be lacking come winter, says Dr Rae.
This can lead to weakness of muscles, low mood and lethargy all typical symptoms of fatigue. Vitamin D levels are often low in forms of inflammatory arthritis, such as fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.
I recommend using a vitamin D spray under the tongue each morning this gets straight into the blood stream.
B-group vitamins and folate are essential for good energy levels and optimal nerve function, which are both important in fighting fatigue. Folic acid also seems to reduce the chance of heart attacks and strokes. Vitamin K is vital for bone health, which can improve muscle function and fitness.
Why Do I Lack Energy
One of the reasons for a lack of energy throughout the day could be that you need more sleep. Adults should aim to get roughly eight hours of sleep a night to help feel refreshed and ready for the day ahead.
Another reason for a lack of energy could be because you arent getting enough nutrients from your diet. Its important to eat a healthy balanced diet thats full of fruit and veg to ensure you get the nutrients you need to help keep your energy levels up.
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Fatigue In The Elderly
Fatigue is often considered to be a symptom rather than a condition and is different from general drowsiness, confusion, and excessive sleepiness. Many elderly patients use these symptoms interchangeably, making it difficult for their physicians to discern whether what they are experiencing is truly fatigue and if intervention is needed. Older adults are more likely to experience a reduction in certain hormone levels as well as suffer from chronic diseases, which increases the likelihood that they will experience fatigue.
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.
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Ways To Fight Chronic Fatigue
Fighting fatigue for rheumatoid arthritis patients can be a challenge. However, there are some ways to improve your energy levels and lessen chronic fatigue. Here are some of the things you can do to help fight chronic fatigue in your daily life:
- Exercise regularly
- Rule out medication side effects
- Seek counseling and support
Watch What You Consume
What you consume has a direct relationship with your energy levels.
Aim to have a healthy, balanced diet that includes:
- At least five portions of fruits and vegetables daily
- Complex carbohydrates like whole grains and beans
- Eight glasses of fluids apart from your solid food intake
- Dairy or dairy alternatives like almond milk
- Small amounts of unsaturated fats
You can gain a head start early in the day by having a healthy breakfast consisting of fruit, protein, whole grains, nuts, and protein. This may keep you alert and help you beat morning fatigue.
So, remember to make time for breakfast as it can jumpstart your metabolism, even if its just fruit and cereal or toast. A carbohydrate-rich, high-fiber breakfast is a smart option as your brain is dependent on glucose for energy.
Iron, magnesium, and Vitamin B12 are some key nutrients for energy. So, include iron-rich foods such as spinach, kale, chickpeas, kidney beans, liver, and lean red meat, as well as magnesium-rich foods like nuts, leafy vegetables, chocolate, and magnesium butter.
Vitamin B12 is found naturally in eggs, dairy, meat, and shellfish. Vegans and vegetarians tend to lack B12 and iron. If you are a vegan or vegetarian, you need to talk to your doctor about assessing your iron and B12 intake.
Foods with high antioxidant levels, also known as superfoods, are not only great for your immune system but will also help you feel energetic. Superfoods include berries, melons, whole grains, dairy, and meat.
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Physical Causes Of Tiredness
Tiredness may be due to a wide range of physical illnesses. Examples include:
- A tendency to be lacking in iron .
- An underactive thyroid gland .
- Side-effects of some medicines .
Most physical causes of tiredness will cause other symptoms. Some causes of tiredness may not cause any other symptoms apart from tiredness.
Looking For The Best Vitamins For Fatigue Keep Reading
If youre searching for the best vitamins for fatigue, hopefully, this list will give you some ideas for what to try out. As someone who travels often and works late hours, I personally find the need for several of these vitamins, and I personally take Ashwagandha, B12 and Iron daily. They keep my energy levels at a constant level, which keeps me alert and awake, and really combats the fatigue.
These vitamins can be amazing for fighting off jet lag on long trips, and just generally making you feel more awake and refreshed in everyday life too. Energy is key to feeling good and healthy and these options for the best vitamins for fatigue will give you just that!
So, lets get into this list of the best vitamins for fatigue, and hopefully youll find it useful!
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Lose Weight To Gain Energy
If your body is carrying excess weight, it can be exhausting. It also puts extra strain on your heart, which can make you tired. Lose weight and you’ll feel much more energetic.
Apart from eating healthily, the best way to lose weight and keep it off is to be more active and do more exercise.
Many people don’t get the sleep they need to stay alert through the day.
The website of the Royal College of Psychiatrists has information on sleeping well.
Tips for sleeping well include:
- going to bed and getting up in the morning at the same time every day
- avoiding naps in the day
- taking time to relax before you go to bed
Read more about how to get a good night’s sleep.
Get Tested For Other Conditions
Anaemia is often found alongside arthritis and is a common cause of fatigue. Anaemia can be caused by lack of iron in your diet, and this means your red blood cells cant carry enough oxygen to the parts of your body that need it.
GPs are generally very good at diagnosing and treating anaemia, says Dr Rae.
However, thyroid disease remains a major concern, because it can masquerade as so many other conditions. Dry skin and thinning hair are common symptoms, alongside the fatigue and aching joints that people put down to arthritis. Your rheumatologist or GP should offer tests to check your thyroid function.
If thyroid disease is diagnosed, its reasonably easy to manage with the right medication.
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Work Closely With Your Ms Healthcare Providers
Make and keep regular appointments with your doctor to assess whether your disease is under the best control possible and youre receiving optimal MS treatment.
In many cases, when MS is well-controlled, it can help in terms of fatigue levels, says Devon Conway, MD, a neurologist at Cleveland Clinic’s Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis Treatment and Research in Ohio.
Feeling Tired Because Of Sleeping Problems Anxiety Or Depression
Tiredness, depression, anxiety and problems sleeping often appear together in some people. Researchers think there is a link between cancer tiredness and depression. Sleeping problems, anxiety or depression may make your tiredness worse. But extreme tiredness can also cause emotional distress in some people.
A short course of sleeping tablets might help. It can help to get you back into your sleeping pattern. Your doctor might suggest anti depressants if depression is causing you sleeping problems. You need to take these for a few months to get the most out of them. Most anti depressants take a few weeks to start to work. Talk to your doctor or nurse if you feel depressed.
Sleeping problems, depression and tiredness can be difficult to cope with. But there are things you can do and people that can help.
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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.
The Doctor May Examine You
The doctor may check your weight and height, if it seems relevant. You may not be examined, as it may depend on your answers to some of the questions above however, the doctor may think it relevant to:
- Check your lymph glands to see if they are enlarged.
- Check your thyroid gland to see if it is enlarged.
- Look at your eyes to see if you might be anaemic.
- Listen to your chest and feel your tummy and the organs in your tummy.
- Check your joints for swelling or inflammation.
- Check the strength of your arms and/or legs.
- Ask you for a sample of your urine to check for sugar or infection.
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How Long Is Omicron’s Incubation Period
According to early data, the time it takes for an infected person to develop symptoms after an exposure may be shorter for omicron than for previous variants from a full week down to as little as three days or fewer.
While much more research is needed, it makes scientific sense that a highly contagious virus like the omicron variant would have a shorter incubation period. Its goal, after all, is to infect as many people as possible, as quickly as possible.
“That’s why the spread is occurring at a much faster pace,” said Dr. Anita Gupta, an anesthesiologist and critical care physician at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. She added that it’s possible the incubation period could be shorter or longer depending on a number of variables, including age, underlying health problems and vaccination status. “There is no hard and fast rule here.”
What Is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Chronic fatigue syndrome , also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis or ME/CFS, is a condition in which fatigue lasts six months or longer and is not related to other diseases or conditions. People with CFS experience symptoms that make it hard to do daily tasks like dressing or bathing. Along with severe fatigue that doesnt get better with rest, CFS symptoms can include problems with sleep, memory and concentrating, pain, dizziness, sore throat, and tender lymph nodes. Learn more about CFS.
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Rheumatoid Arthritis And Fatigue
Symptoms: Fatigue, morning stiffness, joint pain, inflamed joints
Rheumatoid arthritis , a type of inflammatory arthritis, is another cause of excessive fatigue. Because joint damage can result in disability, early and aggressive treatment is the best approach for rheumatoid arthritis.
Medications that may be used early in mild RA include:
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
- Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs
Other drugs used in more serious forms of RA include the anti-cytokine therapies , as well as shots and other forms of treatment.
Other autoimmune disorders, such as lupus and Sjogren’s disease, may also cause fatigue.
More On Energy Boosting
Having quality nutrition every day is key to staying healthy and fit. Many people wonder if taking supplements is needed to supply their needs. The answer to this question lies in a lot of factors. Heres the thing: there is no black and white approach when it comes to taking supplements, but if youve been wondering whether you need supplements or not, I will help clarify some of your concerns.
Sometimes, having too many options of supplements on the market can be overwhelming. If youre still asking yourself what supplements to take, then keep reading.
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Diagnosed With Covid Here’s What To Do Next
Indeed, at least one person who was not vaccinated is reported to have died of omicron. Officials in Houston announced Monday that the unvaccinated man in his 50s succumbed to the virus.
There is also emerging evidence that omicron tends not to burrow deep into the lungs as much as previous variants. A study, which was posted online by the University of Hong Kong and not yet peer-reviewed, found that while omicron is less severe in the lungs, it can replicate faster higher up in the respiratory tract.
In this way, omicron may act more like bronchitis than pneumonia, said Dr. Hugh Cassiere, director of critical care services for Sandra Atlas Bass Heart Hospital at the North Shore University Hospital, on Long Island, New York.
“Usually patients with acute bronchitis tend not to be short of breath. They tend to cough and produce sputum,” he said. “Patients with pneumonia tend to be short of breath and feel more fatigued than bronchitis in general.”
Still, it’s virtually impossible for people to rely on symptoms to self-diagnose an illness. In addition to omicron, the delta variant continues to circulate, along with increasing cases of the flu.
For these reasons, doctors urge people who have any cold symptoms or flulike symptoms to get tested.
What Is The Treatment For Tiredness
There is no specific treatment for tiredness. The days of doctors prescribing a “tonic” are over, as there is nothing which really works. The secret is to try to narrow down the cause and then do something about that.
If the cause is a medical condition then often treatment of the condition will resolve the tiredness. For example, if you have anaemia then iron supplements can treat this and the tiredness resolves as your blood count improves. It is thought that even supplementing low-range-of-normal iron levels helps with tiredness. If you are found to have an underactive thyroid gland then a pill which replaces the thyroid hormone you are missing is usually very effective and you will find you have more energy.
If you are found to have chronic fatigue syndrome, you may be referred to a specialist in this illness for help through psychological therapy, graded exercise therapy, or medication.
If you have anxiety or depression, this can be helped by talking therapy , cognitive behavioural therapy , medication or various other possible treatments.
It may seem bizarre, but physical exercise can actually be remarkably effective for treating tiredness. Any moderate exercise, such as walking, swimming or cycling, can help you feel less tired. Regular exercise is also an excellent way to stay healthy.
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When Is Fatigue Considered Extreme
There is no good criteria for assessing the level of fatigue it depends on the person. However, most people know when their tiredness is more than a lack of sleep. Some of my patients remember the exact day they got hit with fatigue so overwhelming that they knew something was wrong.
Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome
POTS is a common condition affecting an estimated one to three million Americans. Researchers dont fully understand the causes of POTS, but it is more common in women than men and is more likely to develop in adolescents and young adults.
