Say Goodbye to Fatigue

It's hard to function properly in your day-to-day activities when you are tired all of the time. There are several things that can cause us to become fatigued. Sometimes it's just a matter of making simple lifestyle changes. If these changes don't help you overcome your fatigue, there are other common causes of fatigue that can be diagnosed and treated by your doctor.

Lifestyle changes you can make include getting more sleep, socializing less, eating better foods, drinking more fluids, taking multivitamins, and cutting back on alcohol and caffeine. If these changes don't help you in two or three weeks it is time to visit the doctor for an exam. Appropriate tests can be done and your doctor can help you take necessary steps to improve your health.

Anemia is a deficiency of red blood cells and/or hemoglobin. Symptoms include fatigue, extreme weakness, difficulty sleeping, lack of concentration, rapid heartbeat, chest pains, and headache. Anemia can be the first sign of a serious illness. It's important to seek treatment right away. The tests you doctor will perform are a complete physical exam and blood tests. Your blood count will be checked. Left unchecked, anemia can cause shortness of breath when you are active as well as heart failure if you are severely anemic.

Extreme fatigue is a warning sign that your blood sugar level is out of control. Sugar keeps your body going. If you are diabetic your body is not able to use that sugar properly. It builds up in the blood instead. As more Americans become overweight, diabetes is occurring earlier in life. Other symptoms are excessive thirst, frequent urination, extreme hunger, weight loss, irritability, vaginal yeast infections, and blurred vision. When your doctor checks you for diabetes, the two major tests are the fasting plasma glucose test and the glucose tolerance test. The fasting test is a blood draw after you have fasted for 10 to 12 hours. For the glucose tolerance test blood is drawn twice: just before drinking a glucose syrup and then 2 hours later.

Your thyroid gland is found in the front of your neck. The thyroid gland produces two hormones: thyroxine and triiodothyronine and each of these control our metabolism. If you have too much thyroid hormone you may experience muscle weakness, especially in your thighs. Other symptoms include weight loss, feeling warm all the time, increased heart rate, shorter and less menstrual flows, and increased thirst. It's most commonly found in women in their 20s and 30s but can occur in older women and men too. Too little thyroid hormone causes fatigue as well. Symptoms include an inability to concentrate and muscle soreness. Weight gain due to water retention, feeling cold all the time, having heavier and more frequent menstrual flows, and constipation are also common. Thyroid disease can be detected with a blood test. It is easily treated.

Depression is a major illness affecting many people. It's no surprise as the world around us is so volatile. It can affect us in so many ways. Our sleep, eating habits, and how we feel about ourselves can change drastically. Depression is more than having the blues. It can last for weeks, months, or even years. Symptoms of depression are decreased energy, changes in sleeping and eating patterns, problems with memory and concentration, and feelings of hopelessness, worthlessness, and negativity. There is no blood test for depression. Your doctor may run some tests to rule out other conditions. If you experience a persistent sad or anxious mood, loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed, irritability, physical symptoms that don't respond to treatment such as headache, chronic pain, or digestive disorder, or thoughts of death or suicide, you need to seek medical attention. Be cautious with anti-depressants. Some are now being linked to bone loss. The FDA is also warning that they can be dangerous. There are other remedies besides medication. Acupuncture has been proven successful. A good Chinese herbalist is also able to prescribe a tonic or tea specified to your needs. Chinese medicine has been around far longer than Western ways so don't count it out. It has worked for centuries.

Take time to take care of you. Make the right lifestyle changes and see your doctor if needed. Once you pinpoint your problem you will say goodbye to fatigue.