While fatigue can make you feel very tired and sleepy, it’s important to keep in mind that tiredness isn’t a fatigue synonym. Fatigue can make people feel so drained that they might be unable to perform their everyday activities, having a serious negative impact on the overall quality of life.
All of us feel tired sometimes, but physical and mental fatigue can make you feel overtired so you won’t have enough energy to just get out of bed and make it through the day. You may feel extremely sleepy but when you wake up, you may not feel rested and refreshed, no matter how many hours of sleep you got.
What Fatigue Is?
Fatigue feels like a lack of motivation and energy. Sometimes, it’s a purely mental feeling, and sometimes, it’s also physical. Although fatigue is different from drowsiness, it is often accompanied by sleepiness. Besides, fatigue often leads to a feeling of indifference and apathy. Many people who experience fatigue describe it as feeling tired, exhausted, weary, and unmotivated.
Although fatigue can be debilitating, it’s quite common. About 20% of Americans say that they experience intense fatigue that interferes with their everyday lives. 20% to 60% of these people deal with fatigue caused by physical health factors, and 40% to 80% of the cases are rooted in mental health factors.
However, fatigue is also common among completely healthy individuals who engage in intense mental or physical activity. It’s also possible to feel fatigued for several hours after eating a heavy lunch. If fatigue isn’t caused by any health conditions, it usually disappears in a few hours after a person reduces the physical or mental activity that caused it.
Fatigue can be a symptom of various physical and mental health issues, and this term is often used in medical literature in different contexts. For instance, there is Epstein-Barr chronic fatigue syndrome, adrenal fatigue syndrome, and post-viral infection fatigue syndrome.
However, some physicians don’t recognize some of such syndromes because the criteria used to define fatigue as a syndrome are too broad. As a result, many doctors consider fatigue, and chronic fatigue, in particular, a complication or symptom of various underlying diseases.
Nevertheless, there is a clearly defined chronic fatigue syndrome. A person can be diagnosed with this syndrome if they experience chronic fatigue for at least six months and have four or more additional symptoms, such as unrefreshing sleep, impaired concentration, headache, muscle pain, tender lymph nodes, etc. To be diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, a person also shouldn’t have any other known medical conditions.
Common Causes of Fatigue
Now let’s take a look at the possible causes of fatigue.
Lack of sleep
Lack of sleep is generally bad for your body and mental health. Your brain needs rest to overcome the consequences of stress, and your body also needs a good night’s sleep to repair tissues and refresh. Make sure to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night. Make sleep your priority and go to bed at the same time, every day.
Poor eating habits
Fatigue can be caused by a lack of appetite, as well as poor eating habits. For example, even if you eat a lot but tend to choose junk food over healthy alternatives, your body may not get enough nutrients. Don’t skip breakfast and stick to foods rich in proteins, vitamins, and complex carbs.
Low thyroid hormones
The thyroid gland is responsible for metabolism. In other words, it helps convert nutrients into energy. Hypothyroidism can lead to fatigue, weight gain, and many other problems.
Depression
While being a mental health disorder, depression can also lead to various physical health problems, including headaches and fatigue. Another distinctive symptom of depression is a lack of meaning and a feeling of emptiness.
However, it may also manifest itself in less obvious ways, slowly draining your energy. If you’re feeling down and tired for a few weeks, the best solution is to talk to a licensed therapist. For instance, you can try online therapy so you won’t even need to commute to a therapist’s office.
Too much caffeine
Although caffeine can keep you energized in the short term, it also has many long-term side effects, including increased blood pressure, rapid heart rate, jitteriness, and fatigue. Therefore, you may want to drink less coffee but do it gradually to avoid withdrawal which may make fatigue even worse.
Shift work sleep disorder
People who have rotating shifts or work at night may experience symptoms of shift work sleep disorder, feeling tired during the day, and being unable to fall asleep easily at night.
Diabetes
Persistent fatigue can also be a symptom of diabetes. If you lose weight, have blurry vision, urinate too often, feel thirsty and very hungry, or experience other common symptoms of diabetes, then don’t hesitate to talk to your doctor.
Anemia
This is one of the most common causes of fatigue in women. The reason is that blood loss during menstruation can lead to iron deficiency, which in turn impacts the amount of oxygen transported to your organs and tissues.
Heart diseases
If your fatigue is caused by various physical activities, it may also be a sign of heart disease. If some everyday tasks that used to feel easy become increasingly difficult, you should describe your problems to your doctor.
Should You Worry?
As you can see, fatigue can be caused by a variety of factors, so it’s important to know whether your fatigue is just a result of poor sleep, hard work, or something more serious. Here are some of the signs it’s time to see a therapist or physician:
- Fatigue comes suddenly and you don’t know why;
- Your fatigue has become chronic;
- Fatigue seriously affects your everyday life and doesn’t let you perform your regular activities;
- It doesn’t go away even after a good sleep, rest, and removal of stressors;
- Fatigue becomes extremely strong so you’re about to faint;
- It is accompanied by other unexplained symptoms.
Final Thought: a Road to Zero Fatigue
Given the variety of possible causes, there is no universal cure that would help everyone in any situation. The treatment is always individual. Depending on a particular case, the treatment may include medications, lifestyle changes, talk therapy, antibiotics, etc. There’s no point in trying to treat fatigue without treating the underlying causes.
For instance, if your fatigue is caused by anemia, a doctor may suggest iron supplements, and if it’s caused by depression, it can be treated with talk therapy. Don’t hesitate to talk to a licensed therapist who will be able to come up with the right diagnosis.
Thanks to online therapy platforms like Calmerry, you don’t even need to commute to a therapist’s office. Video chat therapy allows you to get the necessary help from virtually anywhere. Learn more about talk therapy to prepare for your remote sessions.
