How To Treat Fatigue: Methods Of Relief

If you’ve ever been so mentally or physically exhausted that no amount of sleep helps you to feel rested and revitalized, you could be experiencing fatigue. Fatigue makes it difficult to perform even the most basic daily tasks and can seriously diminish your quality of life.

If you’re wondering about how to treat fatigue, we’ve put together a list of methods of relief that could work for you.

What is Fatigue?

While many people use the word “fatigued” as a synonym for “tired,” fatigue isn’t just being tired or sleepy. True fatigue can make it difficult to carry out normal tasks and prevent you from engaging in activities you enjoy. Some people experiencing fatigue may struggle to even get out of bed in the morning.

Fatigue can have both physical and mental components, and one can often contribute to the other. People may experience just physical fatigue, just mental fatigue, or both.

What Symptoms are Commonly Associated with Fatigue?

Fatigue is most commonly associated with a feeling of exhaustion that occurs after engaging in physical or mental activity.

One of the main differences between fatigue and sleepiness or tiredness is that people who are suffering from fatigue do not feel better after resting or sleeping. Fatigue is a chronic condition that can make it challenging for people to perform normal tasks like caring for loved ones, going to work, and performing simple household chores. Fatigue is said to have physical, mental, and emotional components.

Common symptoms associated with fatigue can include:

• Aching or sore muscles
• Difficulty concentrating or learning new tasks
• Apathy and a lack of motivation
• Daytime drowsiness
• Slowed response time
• Vision problems, such as blurriness
• Gastrointestinal problems, such as bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and constipation
• Headache
• Irritability or moodiness

Physical fatigue can also cause symptoms like muscle weakness or difficulty doing normal everyday activities, like climbing a flight of stairs or walking to get the mail. People experiencing mental fatigue may have symptoms like sleepiness or difficulty staying awake, but they may also find it challenging to concentrate and stay focused.

People experiencingfatigue typically find that their symptoms get worse after exerting themselves physically, mentally, or emotionally. Symptoms may get worse a few hours after activity or may not show up until the next day.

What are some common causes of fatigue?

Fatigue can be caused by a variety of different conditions, and both lifestyle and medical factors can contribute to causing fatigue.

Causes of fatigue commonly fall into the following categories:

• Mental health issues
• Endocrine or metabolic issues
• Use of certain medications
• Cardiovascular or respiratory problems
• Sleep issues
• Use of certain substances and chemicals
• Other medical problems
• Lifestyle factors
  

Mental Health Issues

One of the most common causes of fatigue is mental health issues like major depressive disorder (also referred to as major depression). Depression itself can cause feelings of fatigue, as can associated issues that often stem from depression, such as insomnia.

Other mental health issues can also cause fatigue, including:

• Stress
• Eating disorders
• Boredom
• Challenging life events, such as losing a loved one or getting a divorce
• Bereavement and grief
• Anxiety
• Emotional exhaustion
• Burnout

Metabolic or Endocrine Issues

Hormonal imbalances often contribute to feelings of fatigue. Women are considered more likely to experience fatigue than men due to the many hormonal changes that they undergo throughout their lives.

Metabolic or endocrine issues that are known to contribute to fatigue include:

• Cushing’s syndrome
• Electrolyte problems
• Thyroid conditions
• Hormonal forms of contraception, such as birth control pills and intrauterine devices (IUDs)
• Kidney disease
• Diabetes
• Pregnancy
  

Use of Certain Medications

Some medications are known to cause fatigue as a side effect. While taking medications can cause fatigue, withdrawing from the use of certain medications can also cause symptoms of fatigue, as can changes in your dose of a medication.

Types of medications known to cause fatigue include:

• Certain types of antidepressants
• Blood pressure medications
• Steroids
• Sedatives
• Anxiety medications
• Statins
• Antihistamines

Cardiovascular and Respiratory Problems

Problems with the cardiovascular and respiratory systems can cause changes to the way blood flows throughout the body. As a result, people may experience increased inflammation and fatigue.

Cardiovascular and respiratory problems known to contribute to fatigue include:

• Pneumonia
• Asthma
• Valvular heart disease
• Congestive heart failure
• Arrhythmias
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Coronary heart disease

Sleep Issues

Difficulties sleeping normally can also contribute to feelings of fatigue. People experiencing any of the following sleep issues are more likely to experience fatigue:

• Working late
• Jet lag
• Narcolepsy
• Reflux esophagitis
• Working shifts
• Sleep apnea
• Insomnia

Use of Certain Substances and Chemicals

Certain substances and chemicals can cause disruptions in sleep, which can affect fatigue. Drinking caffeinated beverages before bedtime, drinking too much alcohol, or using products that contain nicotine can cause changes to your sleep patterns.

Other Medical Conditions

In addition to the medical conditions listed above, a number of different medical conditions can contribute to fatigue, including:

• Anemia
• High blood pressure
• Heart disease
• Weakened immune system function
• Systemic lupus
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• Cancer
• Cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiation therapy
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Fibromyalgia
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Significant blood loss

Infections can also cause fatigue because the body is working overtime to protect itself against the illness. Infections associated with fatigue include:

• Malaria
• Infectious mononucleosis (mono)
• HIV
• Hepatitis
• Tuberculosis
• Cytomegalovirus
• Flu

Chronic pain can cause people to wake up multiple times throughout the night, which disrupts sleep patterns and can contribute to feelings of fatigue. Between experiencing constant sleep, as is associated with conditions like fibromyalgia, and failing to get good quality sleep, fatigue is commonly associated with chronic pain conditions. Conditions like fibromyalgia are often experienced with sleep apnea, which also disrupts sleep and contributes to feelings of fatigue.

Lifestyle Factors

Being at an unhealthy body weight can also cause feelings of fatigue. People who are overweight are more likely to experience conditions that contribute to fatigue, including diabetes and sleep apnea. Overweight people must also expend more energy to carry out daily tasks.

Similarly, those who are underweight may have low energy and anemia that contribute to feelings of fatigue. Being underweight is commonly associated with eating disorders, chronic diseases, cancer, and an overactive thyroid are all known to cause feelings of fatigue.

It may seem counterintuitive, but not getting enough exercise can also contribute to feelings of fatigue. While some people with fatigue may think they are conserving energy by not exercising, they’re likely making their fatigue worse. If your physical fitness continues to deteriorate, you can start to lose muscle mass and further see a decline in energy, making it challenging to perform even simple tasks.

How To Treat Fatigue

Because fatigue can result from many different causes, treating the condition effectively relies on identifying the cause of fatigue.

In order to treat fatigue effectively, it may be necessary to speak to your doctor in order to obtain a diagnosis.

There are five main categories for the treatment of fatigue, including:

• Improving sleep habits
• Changing eating and drinking habits
• Increasing physical activity
• Practicing yoga and mindfulness
• Using homeopathic remedies
  

1. Improving sleep habits.

While experiencing fatigue is not the same thing as being tired, getting enough sleep does play a significant role in improving fatigue. In order to manage your fatigue, you may need to improve your sleeping habits.

Ways to improve your sleeping habits include:

• Going to bed and waking up at the same time regardless of what day of the week it is
• Sleeping with the thermostat at a comfortable, if not slightly cool, temperature
• Keeping your bedroom dark and quiet
• Avoid looking at screens for at least an hour prior to going to sleep
• Eat your last meal several hours before bedtime in order to give yourself time to digest your food
• Slow down your nighttime routine by taking a warm bath, listening to calming music, or meditating
  

2. Changing eating and drinking habits.

Eating a well-balanced diet can contribute to improving symptoms of fatigue. If you eat a healthy diet, you may also experience better sleep and overall better health. Ways to positively change your eating and drinking habits include:

• Eating small, frequent meals throughout the day
• Focusing on eating healthy foods and avoiding processed and junk food
• Avoiding caffeine after noon
• Avoiding consumption of too much sugar
• Eating lots of fresh foods and vegetables

3. Increasing physical activity.

While it may seem counterintuitive, getting enough exercise can help to improve your sleep quality and reduce feelings of fatigue. While you shouldn’t increase your physical activity dramatically if you are currently sedentary, gradually increasing your physical activity with the help of a doctor or physical therapist can dramatically improve your fatigue.

4. Practicing yoga and mindfulness.

Yoga and mindfulness can help reduce feelings of fatigue, depression, and anxiety while also improving sleep quality. Meditating before going to sleep is especially effective in helping some people wind down before bed, which makes it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep.

5. Using homeopathic remedies.

Depending on the cause of your fatigue, homeopathic remedies may also be able to help support healthy energy levels. Homeopathic remedies may help to reduce feelings of irritability, fatigue, nervousness, and hypersensitivity, helping to support healthy energy levels.

Summary

The best way to treat fatigue depends on the specific cause of your fatigue, but there are several strategies that can help. Improving your sleep hygiene, increasing your activity level, eating a well-balanced diet, using homeopathic remedies, and practicing yoga and mindfulness can all help to diminish feelings of fatigue and improve your quality of life.