The seemingly endless cycle of hustle and bustle seen in modern society means that at some point in time, almost everyone would have experienced the feeling of being overly tired and exhausted.
Exhaustion and the feeling of tiredness usually do get resolved with adequate rest and a good night's sleep. However, fatigue in some instances maybe unrelenting, lasts for long periods and may ultimately impact negatively on the emotional and psycological well being of the sufferer.
Understanding the cause of such chronic, unrelenting fatigue is an important step in getting appropriate, practical solutions to this problem.
Causes and solutions to persistent fatigue include;
1. Watch your cholesterol lowering drugs
Cholesterol loweing drugs work by reducing the production of cholesterol in the liver. These drugs are referred to scientifically as statins.
Cholesterol lowering drugs (statins) are usually prescribed to reduce the risk of heart attacks and stroke due to atherosclerosis (a condition in which cholesterol-containing plaques form within the arteries). These statins while beneficial, do cause tiredness and lethargy.
Check up with your healthcare provider if you take statins and you feel tired regularly.
2. Glandular Fever
Glandular fever is a type of fever caused by the Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV). This infection is usually contracted by;
- Kissing people infected with the virus
- Exposure to cough and sneezes
- Sharing eating and drinking utensils with people infected with this virus
Glandular fever usually affects young adults and the common symptoms includes;
- Very high fever
- Severe sore throat
- Swollen neck glands
- Extreme tired ness
The symptoms of glandular fever usually resolves within one to two weeks but the extreme tiredness (fatigue) can last for up to 6 months.
3. Iron - deficiency anaemia
Anaemia is a condition in which the level of red blood cells in the body is lower than normal. Iron-deficiency anaemia is the most common type of anaemia and it occurs when the body does not have enough mineral iron to form haemoglobin. Haemoglobin is needed by the body to transport oxygen to tissues and muscles for proper function.
Decrease in amount of mineral iron present in the blood will mean a reduction in the amount of haemoglobin formed which in turn would cause marked reduction in oxygen delivery to body tissues and muscles. The muscles especially do need oxygen to help eliminate build up of lastic caused by day to day physical activity.
Symptoms of iron-deficiency anaemia include dizziness, headaches, tiredness on little exertion, shortness of breath and chronic fatigue.
Iron supplements along with appropriate diet may help restore the blood level of mineral iron and improve energy levels in people with iron-deficiency anaemia.
4. Wrong Diet
Feasting on wrong diets regularly can result in persistent fatigue. Daily intake of sugary rich foods and caffeinated beverages can leave the body undernourished and fatigued as blood sugar levels fluctuate at irregular patterns.
The best approach is to eat healthy. Eat a balanced diet with good servings of fruits, vegetables and lean proteins.
5. Dehydration
A survey in the UK found out that millions of people visit there healthcare provider for complaints which are directly related to not drinking enough water. Top of this complaint is persistent fatigue.
Researchers in a seperate study suggests that fatigue occurs in dehydration because the neurons in the brain region responsible for controlling hydration and body temperature usually send mood-altering messsages to the rest of the brain as an early warning to drink water. This warning, when ignored do lead to symptoms fatigue later on.
Drinking clean water at regular intervals during the day is the surest way to get rid of persistent fatigue caused by dehydration.
6. Heart Diseases
Persistent fatigue can also be a sign of undiagnosed heart trouble, moreso in women. Exercise intolerance and fatigue are often the first symptoms of heart failure.
People with heart troubles soon notice they feel tired all the time and have difficulty in performing everyday tasks such as walking, climbing the stairs or even carrying their bags.
Regular check up with a doctor is necessary to detect an undiagnosed heart disorder when experiencing persistent fatigue.
Credits:
(1) Punch newspaper
(2) American Journal Of Nutrition
(3) American Heart Association