| | | | | requires medical help often shows itself through |
| Fatigue: A condition characterized by a lessened | | | | heavy fatigue. |
| capacity for work and reduced efficiency of | | | | Fatigue Symptoms |
| accomplishment, usually accompanied by a feeling | | | | Symptoms of fatigue include the following: |
| of weariness and tiredness. Fatigue can be acute | | | | Weakness, lack of energy, tiredness, exhaustion |
| and come on suddenly or chronic and persist. | | | | Passing out or feeling as if you are going to pass |
| Considerations: | | | | out |
| Fatigue is different from drowsiness . In general, | | | | Palpitations (feeling your heart beating) |
| drowsiness is feeling the need to sleep, while | | | | Reduced immune system function |
| fatigue is a lack of energy and motivation. | | | | Blurry vision |
| Drowsiness and apathy (a feeling of indifference | | | | Short term memory problems |
| or not caring about what happens) can be | | | | Poor concentration |
| symptoms of fatigue. | | | | Hallucinations |
| Fatigue Causes | | | | Reduced ability to pay attention to the situation at |
| While no one knows what causes chronic fatigue | | | | hand |
| syndrome, for more than a century, doctors | | | | Low motivation. |
| have reported seeing illnesses similar to it. In the | | | | Treating fatigue |
| l860s, Dr. George Beard named the syndrome | | | | Symptoms of fatigue are often caused by more |
| neurasthenia because he thought it was a nervous | | | | than one problem. Treating a specific problem, |
| disorder with weakness and fatigue. Since then, | | | | such as anemia, may make you feel better, but |
| health experts have suggested other explanations | | | | other things may still need to be done. That is |
| for this baffling illness. | | | | why many different approaches are considered. |
| There are many possible physical and | | | | These approaches may or may not include |
| psychological causes of fatigue. Some of the | | | | medicines. Treating cancer-related fatigue often |
| more common are: | | | | involves many health professionals, including |
| An allergy that leads to hay fever or asthma | | | | doctors, nurses, social workers, physical |
| Anemia (including iron deficiency anemia) | | | | therapists, nutritionists, and a number of others. |
| Depression or grief | | | | Behaviour therapy, physiotherapy, occupational |
| Persistent pain | | | | therapy, counselling, relaxation therapy, and |
| The sense of fatigue is believed to originate in the | | | | graded exercise may help. Reducing stress, eating |
| reticular activating system of the lower brain. | | | | a healthy diet, rest periods, pacing and support |
| Musculoskeletal structures may have co-evolved | | | | groups also help many people with CFS. |
| with appropriate brain structures so that the | | | | Anxiety or anxiolytic agents: Anxiolytic agents are |
| complete unit functions together in a constructive | | | | used to treat panic disorder in CFS patients. |
| and adaptive fashion.[4] The entire systems of | | | | Examples include alprazolam (Xanax), clonazepam |
| muscles, joints, and proprioceptive and kinesthetic | | | | ( Klonopin), and lorazepam (Ativan). Common |
| functions plus parts of the brain evolve and | | | | adverse reactions include sedation, amnesia, and |
| function together in a unitary way. | | | | withdrawal symptoms (insomnia, abdominal and |
| Depression | | | | muscle cramps, vomiting, sweating, tremors, and |
| You can easily become tired if you are depressed | | | | convulsions). |
| or experiencing emotional stress. Depression that | | | | |