We all have experienced fatigue at some point in our life though this is the body’s normal response as we do something beyond what our body is capable of in a specific period of time. However, physical activities don’t just solely contribute to fatigue, but mental and emotional aspects hugely do. Many people tend to misinterpret the meaning of fatigue as it is usually mistaken of tiredness. Fatigue is rather a subjective feeling of excessive tiredness, a non-specific symptom that has various possible causes and accompanies several multiple conditions. It has two types, physical and mental fatigue. Physical fatigue is the transitory physical incapacity of a muscle to work ideally and can be reversed by rest. While mental fatigue is a short-term incapacity to maintain cognitive performance.
Causes:
Fatigue may be caused by either over stimulation or under stimulation and the following are the lifestyle factors that possibly cause fatigue:
-Excessive physical activities
-Lack of physical activities
-Use of alcohol or drugs
-Jet lag
-Sleeplessness
-Unhealthy eating habits such as vitamin or mineral deficiencies; poor diet
Other causes are depression, mental stress, boredom, and underlying medical condition for unrelenting exhaustion.
Symptoms:
-Excessive and disabling tiredness
-aching muscles
-muscle weakness
-slowed reflexes and responses
-poor or impaired decision-making and judgment
-mood swings; irritability
-poor or impaired hand-to-eye coordination
-decrease or loss of appetite
-reduced or poor immune system function
-blurry vision
-short-term memory problems
-poor concentration
-hallucinations
-short attention span
-low motivation.
-headache
-dizziness
When you call for a cure or remedy, there is no particular treatment for fatigue because the management approach depends on its cause. Therefore, it is crucial to determine a normal tiredness from constant weariness. If it reveals no underlying medical explanation for the fatigue, the following lifestyle and dietary modifications may alleviate:
-Ensure sufficient rest and sleep; improve sleep habits – lack of sleep is the main reason for daytime fatigue
-Get moving: exercise regularly
-Balance activities
–Limit caffeinated beverages or anything alike; better cut out
–Drink plenty of water –dehydration also causes fatigue
-Proper, healthy diet
-Practical expectations for workload and schedule.
–Relaxation: meditation or yoga
-Identifying external and internal stressors and take time for yourself to solve it. Go on a vacation somewhere you can relax and think well.
–Avoid the use of illegal drugs
-Drink less alcohol
For fatigue with no underlying cause, doctors usually suggest counseling or cognitive behavioral therapy- a feasible approach to problem-solving.
Reference:
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au
