Talk About How Youre Feeling
Fatigue can make you feel low or depressed. Talking about how you feel can really help. Dont keep your feelings to yourself. Try to talk to a member of your healthcare team, members of a support group, your family or friends.
There are things that can help if youre feeling low. Your healthcare team may recommend a talking therapy, such as cognitive behaviour therapy also known as CBT. You can do it as one-to-one or group sessions.
Talking therapies aim to help people change the way they see their condition and any negative feelings towards it. Sessions, led by trained therapists, can help people change the way they react to and feel about their condition by making positive changes to the way they think and behave.
NHS England has a dedicated programme called Improving Access to Psychological Therapies, known as IAPT. It aims to connect people with anxiety and depression to local talking therapy services. You can refer yourself to this service by visiting the NHS England website and searching for IAPT or ask a health professional to refer you.
Health services in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland dont currently offer a self-referral service, but you can ask your doctor to refer you to a local NHS therapy service or group.
Joining a support group for people living with similar conditions can help you talk openly about your problems with people in similar situations. They may also be able to share tips on how to get around some of your problems.
How Does Fatigue Change Your Life
Fatigue is different than normal feelings of tiredness. People describe it as being overwhelming and uncontrollable. They feel worn out and drained of energy, and sometimes even lose all interest in anything.
It can increase the need for sleep and make it hard to concentrate or do anything. Constantly feeling exhausted and not being able to maintain an active lifestyle can affect your mood too: Many people who have rheumatoid arthritis also feel depressed, irritable or anxious. These feelings can be hard for others to fully understand.
The severity of rheumatoid arthritis symptoms may vary a lot over time. This can make it difficult to plan ahead. You don’t know how you will feel the next day or whether the symptoms will get better or worse. This means that people with rheumatoid arthritis feel like they have lost control of their lives. If they are too exhausted, they may not have enough energy even for simple everyday activities or for playing with their children or grandchildren. Appointments may need to be rescheduled, and some people give up their favorite activities if they prove to be too demanding.
And at work it may be difficult to accept that you can’t do as much as you used to. You might need more breaks, or certain tasks might need to be reassigned.
Cause Of Polymyalgia Rheumatica
Polymyalgia rheumatica produces inflammation and swelling in the larger joints of the body, such as the shoulders and hips, and in the tissues around these joints. The inflammation is due to the immune system attacking the membranes lining the joint , but the reason for this is unknown. Genetics and environmental factors are believed to play a role.
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Never Ignore Chronic Body Aches & Fatigue
Chronic body aches and fatigue can affect anyone- no matter what your age- and can be a quite stressful experience.
Some of the most common body aches include neck/back pain, muscle pain, headaches, and joint pain. In addition, there is neuropathic pain, which is a condition that results in a malfunction of the nervous system.
Chronic body aches and fatigue can be a serious medical condition that needs medical attention and should never be ignored.
Following are some of the most common causes of body aches and fatigue that you should be aware of.
Q: How Is Pots Tested/assessed
A: Seeking answers from a medical center with autonomic expertise will give you a better chance of receiving an accurate diagnosis. If you think you may have POTS, its important that your doctor rules out other conditions, including thyroid disease.
Your autonomic medical specialist will use a special tilt table test to diagnose your condition. The tilt table test is designed to measure heart rate and blood pressure as you change your body position from lying flat to a 60- to 70-degree angle. The title table is the best way to confirm a POTS diagnosis.
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The Flu Or Other Infections
When a flu virus hits, it brings on fever and congestion, and it can make your muscles ache, especially in your back, legs, and arms. It usually gets better on its own in a week or so, but call your doctor if it doesnât. You also should see them if you have other health problems and you get the flu or you have a cough that doesnât go away. Other infections can also give you muscle aches, including COVID-19 and HIV.
Q: What Are The Symptoms Of Pots
A: The most common symptom of POTS is chronic fatigue. Other symptoms include body aches and exhaustion. About a third of patients faint. Other patients are plagued by adrenaline symptoms such as chest pain, racing heart rate , sweating and difficulty breathing. POTS feels like having the flu, but having to drink coffee to get through the day.
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Joint Pain And Fatigue What Could Be The Possibilities
Fatigue is usually characterized by extreme tiredness that even rest and relaxation cannot cure. A number of factors are responsible for fatigue, including conditions that cause joint pain.
It is important to note that different people have different pain thresholds. However, constant pain brought on by sore or damaged joints cause fatigue in most people. The diseases responsible for fatigue as a result of joint pain include fibromyalgia, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.
Joints can swell or become inflamed while performing certain activities. It can also lead to a chronic condition. The physical and emotional energy required to relieve the joint pain and continue with everyday activities tends to contribute to the fatigue. Painful joints will also prevent a patient from getting a good nights rest. Without good sleep, fatigue will be a natural consequence.
Complementary And Alternative Medicine
Several mind-body therapies have been used, often in conjunction with medication and physical therapy, to alleviate joint pain. Some of these include:
- Tai chi
- Acupuncture
In addition, while there was some hype about taking the dietary supplements glucosamine and chondroitin for repairing the damaged cartilage of osteoarthritis, current scientific evidence is unfortunately not so supportive of this. That said, for some people, there may be a small pain-alleviating benefit to taking these supplements.
In the end, it’s best to talk with your healthcare provider about whether these are right and safe for you.
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What Causes Extreme Muscle And Joint Pain
Tension, chronic stress, and minor injuries can result in extreme muscle and joint pain. This type of pain is usually localized and can affect a few parts of the body at the same time.
Conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, bursitis, strains, and gout can also lead to painful joints.
According to the latest research, joint pain is pretty common in adults. Every fourth person reports having it. If you are one of them, here is what you need to know about muscle pain and its treatment:
Unexplained Pain: Could Those Aches And Fatigue Be An Autoimmune Disease
Are you exhausted and depressed? Do your joints ache? These are telltale symptoms of more than 80 of the autoimmune diseases that exist. Find out the 6 most common, what happens when your body turns against itself and how to diagnose and treat symptoms…
When our immune systems work right, our body is able to fend off attacks from invading bacteria and viruses. But with an autoimmune disease, it fights against us. Instead of protecting, it attacks, sending armies of your bodys disease-fighters to battle your own healthy tissue, cells and organs.
Up to 22 million Americans have autoimmune disorders, according to the National Institutes of Health . Nearly 80% of them are women many in their childbearing years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . And the numbers are growing. Autoimmune diseases are much more prevalent now than they were 20 years ago, says Virginia Ladd, president of the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association. Each disease is relatively rare, but looking at them collectively, thats another story.
- Pain in the wrists and fingers of both hands
- Tender, warm joints in both knees and elbows
- Morning discomfort
- Fatigue/loss of energy
- Fever
How to diagnose it:
- Fatigue
- Chronic vaginal yeast infections
How to treat it:
- Achy and swollen joints
- Shortness of breath or chest pain
- Skin sores from sun exposure
How to treat it:
- Dairy products
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When To See A Healthcare Provider
New joint pain is a reason to see your healthcare provider. If you have a pain condition but are experiencing pain in a new area or a markedly different type of pain, be sure to get an appointment.
Many people with one pain condition go on to develop another. For example, it’s common for someone with rheumatoid arthritis or lupus to eventually develop secondary fibromyalgia.
Seek urgent medical attention if your joint pain is severe or you have any of the following additional symptoms:
- Fever
- Hot or significantly swollen joint
- Sudden numbness or burning and/or muscle weakness
Common Causes Of Body Aches
Body aches can be a cause of both short-term ailments and long-term conditions. Healthy people may experience body aches after standing, walking, or exercising for a prolonged period of time. In others, body aches are a sign of an underlying medical condition or infection.
Common causes of body aches include:
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Treatment For Muscle And Joint Pain
In case you dont have any other symptoms that would indicate having one of the conditions described below consider using some homemade treatments to ease the pain.
Here is what you can do to relieve muscle discomfort:
What Are Common Causes Of Joint Pain And Fatigue
Joint pain and fatigue means achiness or discomfort in the joints, coupled with extreme exhaustion. Joints are the areas where two bones meet and can bend away from each other, like at the knees, knuckles and wrists. These two symptoms are caused by many relatively common medical conditions and a number of conditions that are rarer. A few causal illnesses include flus, most illnesses accompanied by fever, a variety of autoimmune disorders, different types of arthritis, hepatitis and hypothyroidism.
Most people will experience a few minor illnesses that cause joint pain and fatigue. For instance, these two symptoms often occur during the flu, and many people get at least one bout of flu during their lifetime. Moreover, just about any illness that creates fever is likely to cause at least temporary joint pain and fatigue. Fever can cause slight swelling in the joints, which makes them painful, and it often results in people feeling unusually tired and poorly rested, no matter how much they sleep.
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When To Be Concerned
Of course, body aches and fatigue are very common, but the severe pain located in joints and muscles is a lot like what you have when you are dealing with the flu.
Some of the other symptoms that accompany chronic body aches and fatigue are:
- Tenderness when pain is most severe
- Lack of sleep
- Fever
- Inflammation
Due to the fact that there are some serious conditions that can manifest with chronic body aches and fatigue, it is critical that you make an appointment with your physician to get checked out.
Following are some of the common conditions that manifest with these symptoms:
Flu Symptoms And Relief
The flu is a contagious respiratory illness that frequently causes fatigue and sore throat. Much like mono, saliva and air borne pathogens help spread the flu virus.
In addition to sudden and excessive fatigue and sore throat symptoms, you may experience:
- Body aches and chills
- Fever
- Gastrointestinal problems
Bed rest and plenty of fluids are typically the best treatments for overcoming the flu. A healthcare professional may prescribe an antiviral medication, which can sometimes cause symptoms to ease faster than through rest and fluids alone.
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Arthritis As A Cause Of Joint Pain And Fatigue
The breakdown of fluids between the joints is responsible for rheumatoid arthritis . In the initial stages, the condition tends to be more severe during the morning hours. However, the pain gradually worsens and makes the patient feel uncomfortable for the most part of the day. This is also accompanied by exacerbating fatigue. Rheumatoid arthritis will affect the joints in the wrists, hands and elbows as well as the neck and shoulders. It should also be noted that in the lower extremities, the condition tends to affect the hips, ankles and knees in addition to the joints in the toes. The irritation that tends to affect the joints is responsible for the release of cytokines into the system. This is one of the common causes of fatigue which a person undergoes. This apart, a poor appetite which is common among those suffering with arthritis pain adds to the level of fatigue. Due to a massive loss of stamina, a lot of people tend to feel more fatigued. This is one of the reasons why they restrict the amount of activities they engage in.
Aching Muscles And Joints And Fatigue
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Inflammation Of The Joint Lining
If you have injured the joint recently and it suddenly becomes painful again, the thin layer of tissue lining the joints and tendons may be inflamed, a condition called traumatic synovitis.
It usually does not cause any redness or heat.
You should be able to manage injury-related swelling at home with anti-inflammatory medicines, such as ibuprofen, an icepack and rest.
Swelling And Tingling In Hands And Feet
While the cause of numbness, tingling, and burning is unclear, many people with fibro feel them. These sensations, called paresthesia, tend to happen randomly. They may last a few minutes, or they may be constant.
The feelings can be especially bothersome in the mornings along with morning stiffness. But they generally don’t get in the way of doing things.
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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.
Polymyalgia Rheumatica And Giant Cell Arteritis
Some people with polymyalgia rheumatica experience giant cell arteritis . Giant cell arteritis involves painful inflammation of the blood vessels of the skull. Symptoms include:
- severe headache
- pain in the side of your jaw or face when chewing
- temples are tender to touch
- scalp tenderness.
Seek urgent medical attention if you experience any of these symptoms. If not treated promptly, giant cell arteritis can cause damage to the arteries of the eye, which can lead to blindness.
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Fibromyalgia As A Cause Of Joint Pain And Fatigue
If you havent heard of Fibromyalgia yet, you will be surprised to learn that it causes joint pain and fatigue. It can be termed as a condition that is characterized by fatigue and pain in the joints. While there be little or absolutely no swelling or inflammation in your joints, those plagued by fibromyalgia have reported of severe pain in the neck and shoulder joints. As the condition worsens over time, the pain spreads to the entire body and in the process produces burning, sore or stiff muscles and joints. The fatigue fibromyalgia patients feel can be more debilitating than joint pain. Patients suffering from fibromyalgia say that they suffer from a lack of energy, minimized endurance levels and exhaustion, which is typically seen in people who are down with a bad case of the flu. These people also tend to feel tired after waking up from a good nights sleep.
