Thursday, March 21, 2024

What Causes Sudden Onset Of Extreme Fatigue

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Fatigue Is Always A Sign Of A Serious Medical Condition

Fatigue, Causes, Signs and Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment.

At some point, nearly everyone suffers from fatigue. In most cases, it’s acute fatigue — fatigue that occurs suddenly but lasts less than three months and is usually caused by lifestyle or environmental factors such as physical exertion, stress, lack of sleep, dehydration, or inadequate diet. In most cases, it’s easily treated by addressing the cause: by reducing stress getting more rest, sleep, or better nutrition or hydrating properly.

Chronic fatigue lasts longer — for more than a few months — and it’s more likely to be associated with an underlying medical condition.

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.

Preparing For Your Appointment

To prepare for your appointment, see the topicMaking the Most of Your Appointment.

You can help your doctor diagnose and treat your condition by being prepared to answer the following questions:

  • What is your major symptom, weakness or fatigue?
  • Have you had these symptoms before? If so:
  • Did you see a doctor for an evaluation of your symptoms?
  • What was the diagnosis?
  • How were your symptoms treated?
  • What other symptoms do you have that may be related to your major symptom?
  • How long have you had your symptoms? Describe what was happening when you first noticed your symptoms.
  • What makes your symptoms better or worse?
  • What home treatment have you tried?
  • Are you experiencing any particular stress at home, work, or school that could be causing your weakness or fatigue?
  • Are you using any alcohol or other drugs, such as caffeine or nicotine, that may be causing fatigue?
  • What medicines have you used, both prescription and non-prescription?
  • Do you have any health risks?
  • While you are waiting for your appointment, it may be helpful to keep a diary of your symptoms .

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    What Causes Extreme Fatigue After Eating

    Experiencing fatigue after eating isnt normally something to worry about, however extreme tiredness after meals may indicate a health issue especially if you struggle with an eating disorder.

    If youre eating the right foods in the right amounts, meals should leave you energized, not drowsy, so its important to get to the bottom of the issue and see a doctor if post-meal fatigue is an ongoing problem.

    Getting Adequate Rest Can Fight Short

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    In most cases, chronic fatigue is not substantially improved by rest. Chronic fatigue often makes it more difficult to get adequate rest. Similarly, fatigue can interfere with sleep, resulting in unrefreshing sleep, difficulty falling asleep, frequent awakening, or sleep apnea.

    Rest is unlikely to relieve fatigue caused by a medical condition.

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    Your Doctor May Also:

    • take your sleep history, including how much sleep you get each night, what the quality of your sleep is like, and whether you snore, wake or stop breathing in the night
    • do a physical examination to check for signs of illness or disease
    • carry out tests to rule out physical causes, such as blood and urine tests.

    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.

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    Heart Disease And Fatigue

    Symptoms: Fatigue from an activity that should be easy

    If youre exhausted after an activity that used to be easy — for example, walking up the steps — it may be time to talk to your doctor about the possibility of heart disease. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in women. If your fatigue is related to your heart, medication or treatments can usually help correct the problem, cut the fatigue, and restore your energy.

    Is Pots More Common In Certain People

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    There are no established risk factors for POTS. However, it is known to run in families, so it could have a genetic component. Researchers have also established a link between POTS and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome . So if you have one of these conditions, you might also have the other.

    A big group of those diagnosed with POTS is young women and teens. However, this doesnt mean they are more likely to develop this condition.

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    Sjogrens Syndrome As A Cause Of Joint Pain And Fatigue

    Those diagnosed with Sjogrens Syndrome result in the immune cells attacking the glands that help in producing saliva and tears.

    The disorder has an adverse effect on the kidneys, liver, lungs, pancreas and brain. It also results in arthritis and fatigue. Lymph nodes could swell and one may be at a higher risk of lymphoma. Sometimes, the disorder accompanies autoimmune diseases like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.

    When Should You Worry About Fatigue

    Q.I have been quite fatigued over the past two weeks. How long should I wait before seeing a doctor?

    A. We all go through periods of low energy. Even a week of feeling more tired than usual is not uncommon.

    Yet most people can tell when their fatigue feels like something more serious. If that’s the case, or your fatigue gets worse or lasts longer than a week or two, it’s time to see your doctor. Your fatigue might be related to an underlying illness or infection, especially if it’s accompanied by symptoms, such as a low-grade fever, shortness of breath, or loss of appetite.

    Other reasons to see your doctor about fatigue are if you often wake up exhausted despite sleeping well, do not feel motivated to begin the day, or struggle to do activities that are ordinarily easy. These could be symptoms of a sleep disorder or depression.

    During your exam, your doctor will try to rule out issues like medication side effects. He or she also may order blood tests to determine if the fatigue is related to a specific problem, such as anemia, an underactive thyroid , or liver inflammation . However, don’t be surprised if your doctor does not find a cause. I have found that in most cases people bounce back from fatigue after some rest and a good night’s sleep.

    by Howard LeWine, M.D.

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    Some Illnesses Cause Fatigue

    Sometimes, fatigue can be the first sign that something is wrong in your body. For example, people with rheumatoid arthritis, a painful condition that affects the joints, often complain of fatigue. People with cancer may feel fatigued from the disease, treatments, or both.

    Many medical problems and treatments can add to fatigue. These include:

    • Taking certain medications, such as antidepressants, antihistamines, and medicines for nausea and pain
    • Having medical treatments, like chemotherapy and radiation, or recovering from major surgery
    • Infections
    • Chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, liver disease, thyroid disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
    • Untreated pain and diseases like fibromyalgia
    • Anemia
    • Sleep apnea and other sleep disorders

    Managing a health problem may make the fatigue go away. Your doctor can help.

    Heart Attack Or Stroke

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    While you may be on the lookout for chest pain to signal problems with your heart, you should also add sudden-onset fatigue to the list, per the American Heart Association. .

    In addition, the AHA points out that fatigue or confusion can be one of the initial symptoms of a stroke. Other signs might include a severe headache, arm weakness and difficulty with walking or talking.

    Warning

    If you have sudden exhaustion along with any other symptoms of a heart attack or stroke, call 911 immediately. In either case, your likelihood of recovery is better the sooner you get treatment.

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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.

    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.

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    What Causes Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

    Despite a vigorous search, the cause for CFS remain unknown. One possibility may be that CFS represents an endpoint of disease resulting from multiple precipitating causes. Some conditions that have been proposed to trigger the development of CFS include viral infections or other transient traumatic conditions, stress and toxins.

    Tips For Relieving Brain Fog

    Brain Aneurysms: “Sudden Onset Thunderclap Headaches” (Farhan Siddiq, MD)

    There areplenty of ways to alleviate brain fog, and what works for you may not work for someone else, but here are some of thestandard methods that many people attest to be effective:

    • Drink plenty of water and other fluids throughout the day to stay hydrated
    • Get enough sleep every night and get the right amount of rest during the day
    • Reduce stress levels by practicing relaxation techniques such as yoga or meditation
    • Eat a healthy and balanced diet
    • Exercise regularly

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    Six Possible Causes Of Body Aches And Fatigue: What To Know

    Are you wondering why you are experiencing body aches and fatigue at the same time? Generally, body aches are common. When a person suffers from this, he or she can also experience other symptoms, such as pain in a particular body area, cold and flu-like symptoms, and fatigue. Hence, body aches and fatigue usually come together. Sometimes, these may also bring some dental pain. If that happens, you can visit Advanced Dental Care Dubbos services.

    Which Of The Following Is Often A Symptom Of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

    Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome is a term used to describe a group of symptoms, with fatigue being the most prominent. Other key symptoms include muscle and joint pain, sleep disturbances, headaches, sore throat, and tender lymph nodes. These symptoms can be as disabling as multiple sclerosis, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, heart disease, end-stage renal disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease , and similar chronic conditions.

    Fatigue also is frequently a symptom of conditions that are distinct from chronic fatigue syndrome but are often associated with it — including some autoimmune disorders and fibromyalgia.

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    When Should I Be Concerned

    It is important to remember that many different things can cause fatigue and/or anaemia, and more commonly it can be explained by lack of sleep, long hours at work, hormone imbalances, anxiety, depression or dietary deficiencies. However, for this reason, leukaemia can be hard to spot because the signs and symptoms are common to other unrelated problems. As a general rule, if your level of tiredness is affecting your ability to function properly and is persisting for an unusual length of time, visit your GP to gain professional opinion and rule out any underlying problem.

    Knowing what other symptoms are typical of leukaemia is crucial for helping you make the decision to visit your GP sooner for a blood test. Connect the dots between the symptoms of leukaemia and spot leukaemia sooner.

    For information on the other symptoms of leukaemia, click here.

    Types Of Mental Health Professionals

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    Your doctor might refer you to any of the following mental health professionals:

    Psychiatrist. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who specializes in preventing, diagnosing, and treating mental illness. A psychiatrist’s training starts with four years of medical school and is followed by a one-year internship and at least three years of specialized training as a psychiatric resident. A psychiatrist is trained to differentiate mental health problems from other underlying medical conditions that could present with psychiatric symptoms. They also monitor the effects of mental illness on other physical conditions , and the effects of medicines on the body .

    As a medical doctor, a psychiatrist is licensed to write prescriptions. Many mental disorders — such as depression, anxiety, ADHD, or bipolar disorder — can be treated effectively with specific drugs. If you are working with a psychiatrist, a lot of the treatment may be focused on medication management. Sometimes medication alone is enough to treat the mental illness. Sometimes a combination of medication and psychotherapy or counseling is needed. If that is the case, the psychiatrist may provide the psychotherapy, or the psychiatrist may refer you to a counselor or other type of mental health professional.

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    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.

    Common Causes Of Fatigue

    Many different things can also cause fatigue, but some common causes include:

    • Dehydration
    • Lack of sleep or rest
    • Physical activity such as running a marathon or working out at the gym for long periods of time
    • Pregnancy if your body is not used to the extra work
    • Mental activity such as working or studying for long periods of time

    Just like brain fog, fatigue can also lead to a decrease in cognitive function and make it difficult to do everyday activities.

    Now that we know some of the most common causes for brain fog and fatigue, lets take a look at some tips on how you can get relief from these conditions.

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    Does Your Lifestyle Need A Tweak

    First off, ask yourself this: Do you treat your body right?

    “With my patients, I talk about the three pillars of health: sleep, diet, and exercise,” says Theodore Friedman, MD, PhD.

    “If you aren’t getting good sleep, it’s hard to eat well, and it’s hard to exercise. And the same is true the other way around. They’re all related.”

    So try not to short-change yourself on shut-eye. Adults need 7 to 9 hours of sleep. Eat a balanced diet of fruits, veggies, and lean protein, and get a regular dose of physical activity.

    If you’ve checked all those boxes and you still drag through your days, it might be time to check possible medical causes of fatigue.

    What Is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

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    Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is not the normal ups and downs experienced in everyday life. The early sign of this illness is a strong and noticeable fatigue that comes on suddenly and often comes and goes or never stops. It is not improved by bed rest and may be worsened by physical or mental activity. Persons with CFS most often function at a substantially lower level of activity than they were capable of before the onset of the illness. CFS is diagnosed two to four times more often in women than in men possibly because of biological, psychological and social influences.

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    Fast Fix For Mild Fatigue

    Some of us are simply tired with no medical cause. The good news is that exercise may give us a boost. Studies consistently show that people who engage in regular exercise feel less fatigue than those who don’t. When exercising for energy stay in the low-to-moderate exertion range, such as walking, yoga, or light resistance training to fight fatigue.

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