Do you constantly feel tired, drained of all energy, and unable to focus or find motivation for daily life? You could be suffering from fatigue. This condition comes in many shapes and sizes, however, ranging from mild exhaustion to myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME). ME is also commonly known as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), and in that form, it’s a severe and long-term illness affecting multiple body systems. Let’s explore the different degrees of fatigue, their causes, and potential treatments and self-care.
Generalized Fatigue
Generalized, periodic, or daily fatigue is a common complaint that includes nonspecific low energy levels. People suffering from this feel exhausted after relatively little exertion and display an overall failure to thrive. However, it’s important to distinguish between generalized fatigue and neurological weakness, which applies to reduced power in one or more muscles.
Generalized fatigue can result from not getting enough sleep, poor sleep hygiene, types of medication, or underlying conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, or autoimmune disorders. It can also be caused by a sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy nutrition, stress, depression, or anxiety.
Extreme Fatigue
Fatigue is considered extreme if a patient’s energy is completely depleted. When someone feels beyond exhausted, has trouble concentrating and thinking correctly, and doing simple tasks feels like running a marathon, you could have extreme fatigue. This kind of fatigue can come and go without warning and last for hours, days or weeks. Most patients can recall clearly the day they had an attack of extreme fatigue, which is vastly different from generalized fatigue.
Some causes of this type of fatigue include:
- Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), which is a group of symptoms caused by a breakdown in communication between the brain and the cardiovascular system. Patients tend to accumulate more blood in the lower body when they stand upright, causing the heart to pump harder to push it to the brain, which causes muscle and organ exhaustion.
- Myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), which affects between 830,000 and 2.5 million Americans, according to an Institute of Medicine (IOM) report. The majority of these remain undiagnosed.
- Multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, and other autoimmune diseases, which all cause the body to attack itself. When the disease’s activity is combined with the symptoms and effects, the double onslaught causes a massive drain on physical and mental energy.
Chronic Fatigue
While ME is often referred to as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and vice versa, it is, in fact, only one of the possible causes of CFS. Sufferers of CFS may not have an official diagnosis or, indeed, even an official condition, but that doesn’t mean they don’t struggle daily with the body’s energy demands.
Patients with CFS are often unable to do their everyday activities and may even be stuck in bed for extended periods of time. Forcing themselves to do necessary tasks can result in a post-exertional malaise (PEM), worsening symptoms, pain, and dizziness.
Treating Severe Fatigue
Apart from treating any diagnosed underlying causes, self-care for fatigue patients is similar regardless of the severity. In other words, it doesn’t matter whether you have generalized, extreme, or chronic fatigue, the best treatment options are:
- Increased rest. Practice comprehensive sleep hygiene to get the most restful sleep possible every night. Your body’s cells regenerate and repair during sleep, while the brain stows away fresh information and eliminates toxic waste. Nerve cells communicate and reorganize, supporting healthy brain function and releasing hormone and protein molecules to restore your energy.
- Medication. While there is no known cure for CFS or any other level of fatigue, treatments focused on relieving disruptive and disabling symptoms appear to help. Anti-depressants can make it easier to cope with the problems associated with the disease and improve the ability to sleep.
Medications that regulate blood pressure and heart rhythms (orthostatic meds) can help prevent sitting upright or standing symptoms. Other medicines believed to help include over-the-counter products like Advil, Motrin IB, Naproxen, Lyrica, and Cymbalta. - Enhanced circulation. Just as orthostatic medications can improve BP, so can enhancing the circulation of oxygen through the bloodstream through exercise or using a Bemer device for pulsed electro-magnetic field (PEMF) microcirculation therapy. These practices ensure the optimal distribution through the body of all the oxygen accumulated in the blood.
- Counseling. Many people suffering from CFS and other fatigue have underlying depression, anxiety, or stress-related issues. Counseling can help free them from the constraints of their problems, resulting in a more positive approach to treatment, healing, medication, and lifestyle changes.
- Exercise. Keeping as physically active as possible can help to allay the effects of severe or chronic fatigue, because it boosts blood circulation and the transportation of oxygen to the cells. At the same time, exercise releases endorphins that improve mental wellbeing.
Feeling tired all the time is not only no fun, it makes living life impossible for patients and their families. By identifying the cause of the fatigue, patients can often find ways to treat these conditions by natural methods, which helps to maintain the body’s equilibrium and guide the patient’s recovery.
For more information or to schedule a conversation with me, please visit www.meetsandra.com