Tiredness / Fatigue

Fatigue is a constant feeling of tiredness or weakness that might be physical, mental, or a combination of the two. It can happen to anyone. Women are more likely to be tired than men. Everyone gets tired at some point, but it normally goes away after a nap or a few good nights’ sleep. A sleepy person may also feel lightly refreshed after exercising.
If you’re getting enough sleep, eating well, and exercising, but still find it hard to do daily activities, concentrate, or be motivated, you may be experiencing fatigue.
Tired people have one or more of three main complaints.

They are :

• Lack of motivation or the ability to start activities
• Getting tired easily
• Experiencing mental fatigue or problems with concentration or memory

Fatigue is a common complaint, but it’s important to remember that it’s a symptom, not an illness. Different conditions, such as medical, psychological, or lifestyle factors, may cause it.

If you have chronic fatigue, it’s important to figure out what’s making you tired so you can treat it. Your doctor may ask detailed questions about your lifestyle and sleep history to determine whether your tiredness is related to lifestyle or psychological factors.

Lifestyle factors

• Chronic smoking and alcoholism
• Obesity
• Dehydration
• Excessive caffeine intake
• Intensive physical activity
• Being jet-lagged
• Addiction to drugs
• Malnutrition and a poor diet

Psychological factors

• Anxiety or stress
• Depression that lasts a long time
• Anorexia nervosa , a eating disorder.
• Increased stress as a result of events such as the death of a loved one, unemployment, and so on.

Medical conditions

• Diabetes: Overtiredness is one of the main symptoms of diabetes. Symptoms include excessive thirst, frequent bathroom visits, and weight loss. Since diabetes is caused by too much sugar in your blood, a blood test may be able to help your doctor with a diagnosis.
• Pregnancy: During pregnancy, fatigue is one of the first symptoms you might experience. Your body produces a lot of progesterone during the first trimester, which can make you tired. Other early symptoms of pregnancy include a missed period, sore breasts, nausea, and increased urination. You can confirm whether you are pregnant by visiting your doctor or taking an over-the-counter pregnancy test.
• Anemia: Anemia, or iron deficiency, can make you feel fatigued and run-down. As iron is responsible for producing red blood cells, your blood cannot supply your organs with enough oxygen if there aren’t enough red blood cells. Other symptoms of this condition include shortness of breath, heart palpitations, and pallor.
  Iron deficiency is common in women who still menstruate and about 1 in 20 men and postmenopausal women.
• Underactive thyroid: A common symptom of hypothyroidism is feeling tired. The symptoms of this condition develop slowly, so you may not notice any right away. You can also experience weight gain, depression, or muscle aches and pains. For a proper diagnosis, your doctor may recommend a blood test to measure your hormone levels. Underactive thyroid is more common in women and older adults
• Sleep apnea syndrome: As you sleep, your throat may narrow or even close for 10 seconds or more. As a result, you can experience difficulty breathing at night, causing you to wake frequently during the night. Waking often at night can make you feel tired throughout the day. Snoring and a drop in blood oxygen levels can also be symptoms of sleep apnea. This condition is more common in overweight, middle-aged men.
• Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS): Does your fatigue last longer than six months? There is a possibility that this is chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). With this condition, you will still feel tired even if you are getting enough rest. Other symptoms you may experience include a sore throat, headache, or muscle or joint pain. CFS most commonly affects people in their early 20s to mid-40s. It can also affect children between the ages of 13 and 15.
• Heart diseases like ischemic heart disease, heart failure
• Arthritis
• Multiple sclerosis
• Certain medications
• Vitamin D deficiency
• Cancer and chemotherapy
• Fever and infections

Lab tests are a complete analysis of your whole body. Blood tests are done:

• To diagnose any kind of symptoms.
• To find out how well our organs are working.
• It can monitor chronic health conditions and diseases and find out problems in their early stages.

In addition to a detailed history and physical examination, the following tests may be necessary to determine if the tiredness is a result of any underlying physical disorder:

• Complete Blood Count
• Serum electrolyte
• Thyroid Hormones Test
• Fasting Blood Glucose
• Glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c)
• Liver function test
• Kidney function test
• Iron Studies
• Lipid Profile
• Complete Urine Examination
• ECG
• PET CT scan

If a diagnosis cannot be made based on these preliminary tests, further testing or imaging studies may be required.

Treatment of Fatigue generally involves improving the diet and lifestyle of the patient.

Lifestyle changes that can help reduce fatigue :

• Sleep enough
• Stay away from known stressors
• Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids
• Eat a healthy diet
• Do regular exercise
• Don’t overschedule yourself at work or in your social life
• Engage in relaxing activities, such as yoga
• Avoid alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs

A doctor may recommend weekly or fortnightly charts after an evaluation to assess improvement in symptoms and change the treatment plan if necessary. When there is an underlying mental health issue, psychological therapy may be necessary to treat the symptoms.

It may be necessary to combine lifestyle changes, diet modifications, and medication if these interventions do not improve the condition. Treatment of the health problems that may be causing the tiredness symptoms typically involves medications.

• People with hypothyroidism can take thyroxine preparations.
• Metabolically active drugs like metformin, glimepiride, repaglinide, sitagliptin, and insulin preparations like lispro and glargine for treating diabetes mellitus
• Calcium channel blockers, beta-blockers, and diuretics for heart disease like ischemic heart disease or heart failure
• Medications such as fluoxetine and venlafaxine that treat anxiety
• Supplements like Vitamin C and folic acid for treatment of anemia
• Analgesics like ibuprofen and diclofenac and joint care medications to treat arthritis
• Antibiotics can treat infections, and paracetamol formulations can relieve fevers.