Medical reasons for your fatigue

LET’S face it, there are days when we just don’t want to get out of bed and face what the day has in store for us. These days we just want to pull the sheets over our heads and tune out the incessant ringing of the alarm reminding us that it’s the start of a new day.

Whichever name you want to call it, whether for you it is fatigue or exhaustion or just plain tiredness, that rundown feeling that sometimes envelops you might be due to several factors. Sometimes it might just be as a result of putting in long hours at the office or raising active children, or because you are not making proper use of your allotted vacation time.

But apart from feeling lazy, overworked or just having too much on your plate to deal with, there are medical reasons that might legitimise you wanting to just shut the world out sometimes and take a break from it all. According to general practitioner Dr Ian Vincent from Total Care Medical Centre, these medical conditions usually come with other symptoms which suggest that there is more to you feeling tired. These conditions include:

1. Depression. Depression is hard to diagnose and just as challenging to cure. However, Dr Vincent said it is usually accompanied by headaches, irregular heartbeats, chest and shoulder pains as well as backaches. “One of the commonest causes for tiredness in Jamaica is depression. Some people don’t have any energy and when morning comes they don’t want to get out of bed,” he said.

Solution: If you are depressed because your life is in a rut, try switching up your routine a bit or plan a mini vacation so that you can get away from your current environment. Also, try to seek counselling so that you can get a fresh take on how you can improve your life. A doctor could also prescribe medication to deal with the pain and the tiredness.

2. You are anaemic. Loss of blood due to heavy menstrual cycles and iron deficiency is usually the primary causes of anaemia. “Because you are not eating very well, you may not have enough iron,” said Dr Vincent. Because of insufficient red blood cells in the body, less oxygen is transported through the body, leading to tiredness.

Solution: Have your doctor prescribe iron tablets. Also, drinking a glass of water with a couple teaspoons of molasses can help. Try to incorporate iron-rich foods and Vitamin C in your diet as well. “Sometimes people don’t have enough iron in the system and they don’t eat enough green leafy vegetables, like calaloo or lettuce. Many people don’t buy vegetables, because they are expensive,” said Dr Vincent.

3. You have an underactive thyroid. This is caused by the thyroid gland producing less of its hormones. Besides tiredness, other symptoms include dry skin, weight gain and intolerance to cold.

Solution: Have your physician do a blood work-up to determine a treatment option for you. Increasing those nutrients needed to produce thyroid hormones could also help. These include iodine, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, and Vitamin B12.

4. You are pre-diabetic. When you are pre-diabetic, your body rejects insulin, resulting in exhaustion and so excess glucose is not utilised as it should. Apart from tiredness, passing urine regularly is also another symptom of diabetes.

Solution: The first thing is to get a blood sugar test done. You should also change your diet and try to increase physical activity.

5. You have allergies. People are allergic to different things in the atmosphere which results in excessive sneezing, shortness of breath and itching. These combined usually help to sap your energy. According to Dr Vincent, allergies are also due to a weak immune system, although, “one of the major cause for allergies in Jamaica is the drinking of peanut porridge,” he said.

Solution: Get diagnosed so your doctor can determine the cause for your allergies. There are also nasal sprays that you could use to reduce the stuffiness.

6. You have sleep apnea. Sleep apnea results in sleep deprivation as someone suffering from this disorder wakes up several times throughout the night. “Sometimes because you don’t sleep well at nights, in the morning you are tired and there is no energy,” said Dr Vincent.

Solution: Once diagnosed, specialists usually recommend a continuous positive airway pressure machine (CPAP), which provides air to make sleeping easier. Losing weight will also make it easier to breathe throughout the night.

7. You are carrying around too much weight. Carrying around excess weight can make you get tired quicker than someone who is lighter. Unhealthy eating and a lack of exercise usually cause weight gain. Exercising increases your energy by improving your metabolic rate

Solution: Instead of quick fix methods such as gorging caffeine and sugar to boost your energy, try to improve your diet and become more active. Detox to get rid of toxins which might be contributing to fatigue.