Are You Feeling Fatigue ?

 Picture taken from Google Photo Bucket.

So what's making you so tired all the time?

Fatigue most of the time can be traced to one or more of your habits or routines.

Fatigue can mean feeling tired, sleepy or lacking energy.

Fatigue may be due to medical causes, lifestyle or emotional concerns or stress. Depression, anxiety or grief can all cause fatigue.

Too little or too much sleep can cause fatigue.

Fatigue can also be caused by a number of factors working in combination.

With physical fatigue, your muscles cannot do things as easily as they used to. You might notice this when walking up the stairs or carrying groceries.

With psychological fatigue, it may be difficult to concentrate, and in severe cases you might find it hard to get out of bed in the morning.

Fatigue signs and symptoms may be of a physical, mental or emotional nature. Below is a list of some more possible signs and symptoms:

• Bloating, abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, nausea, possibly problems similar to IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) 
• Aching or sore muscles
• Painful lymph nodes
• Apathy, lack of motivation
• Chronic (long-term) tiredness
• Difficulty in concentrating
• Dizziness
• Hallucinations
• Hand-to-eye coordination may be impaired
• Headache
• Impaired judgment
• Indecisiveness
• Irritability
• Loss of appetite
• Moodiness
• Poorer immune system function
• Short-term memory impairment - there may be problems organizing thoughts and finding the right words to say (brain fog)
• Sleepiness, drowsiness
• Slow responses to stimuli
• Slower-than-normal reflexes
• Some vision problems, such as blurriness

A Range Of Causes

Medical Causes

Unrelenting exhaustion may be a sign of an underlying illness.

When discussing your symptoms with your doctor, he/she may encourage other tests to rule out serious illnesses. He/She may also do blood work, suggest drugs (either anti-depressants, anti-anxiety, anti-inflammatory, vitamins, or herbal supplements), exercise and rest.

Many diseases and disorders can trigger fatigue, including:

• The flu
• Glandular fever
• Anaemia
• Sleep disorders, such as sleep apnoea or restless leg syndrome
• CFS/ME (formerly known as chronic fatigue syndrome or myalgic encephalopathy)
• Hypothyroidism
• Hepatitis
• Tuberculosis
• Chronic pain
• Coeliac disease
• Addison’s disease
• Parkinson’s disease
• Heart problems
• HIV
• Cancer
• Certain medications.

Lifestyle Related Causes

Common lifestyle choices that can cause fatigue include: 

Lack of sleep – typically adults need about eight hours of sleep each night. Some people try to get by on fewer hours of sleep. 

Too much sleep – adults sleeping more than 11 hours per day can lead to excessive daytime sleepiness. 

Alcohol and drugs – alcohol is a depressant drug that slows the nervous system and disturbs normal sleep patterns. Other drugs, such as cigarettes and caffeine, stimulate the nervous system and can cause insomnia. 

Sleep disturbances – disturbed sleep may occur for a number of reasons, for example, noisy neighbours, young children who wake in the night, a snoring partner, or an uncomfortable sleeping environment such as a stuffy bedroom. 

Lack of regular exercise and sedentary behaviour – physical activity is known to improve fitness, health and wellbeing, reduce stress, and boost energy levels. It also helps you sleep. 

Poor diet – low kilojoule diets, low carbohydrate diets or high energy foods that are nutritionally poor don’t provide the body with enough fuel or nutrients to function at its best. Quick fix foods, such as chocolate bars or caffeinated drinks, only offer a temporary energy boost that quickly wears off and worsens fatigue. 

Individual factors – personal illness or injury, illnesses or injuries in the family, too many commitments (for example, working two jobs) or financial problems can cause fatigue. 

Workplace related causes

Common workplace issues that can cause fatigue include: 

Shift work – the human body is designed to sleep during the night. This pattern is set by a small part of the brain known as the circadian clock. A shift worker confuses their circadian clock by working when their body is programmed to be asleep. 

Poor workplace practices – can add to a person’s level of fatigue. These may include long work hours, hard physical labour, irregular working hours (such as rotating shifts), stressful work environment (such as excessive noise or temperature extremes), boredom, working alone with little or no interaction with others, or fixed concentration on a repetitive task. 

Workplace stress – can be caused by a wide range of factors including job dissatisfaction, heavy workload, conflicts with bosses or colleagues, bullying, constant change, or threats to job security. 

Burnout – can be described as striving too hard in one area of life while neglecting everything else. ‘Workaholics’, for example, put all their energies into their career, which puts their family life, social life and personal interests out of balance. 

Unemployment – financial pressures, feelings of failure or guilt, and the emotional exhaustion of prolonged job hunting can lead to stress, anxiety, depression and fatigue.

Massage is one of the most recommended types of alternative therapies to treat the symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.  It has proven beneficial and effective for some patients in minimizing anxiety and restlessness and in improving sleep quality. 

People who do not exercise massage are a good option for patients with CFS who are not well enough to exercise because physical manipulations of the skin and muscles help promote good circulation. 

A common massage technique used for the treatment of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is deep tissue massage.  This technique targets the muscle tissues, which are located several layers below the skin surface and is very effective in improving blood circulation.

This article is brought to you by Precision Massage Clinic located in Bankstown and written by Jade Tran.