What is Fatigue?
Fatigue is a symptom rather than a specific illness or disorder. While it is common to have the occasional day where you feel tired and less energetic than usual, people suffering with fatigue feel tired and lethargic all the time and seem to lack energy.
Affecting both body and mind, long periods of fatigue can seriously impair your daily functioning and make even the simplest of life’s responsibilities difficult to cope with. Both physical and mental fatigue are the first signs that the body is being damaged and placed under unhealthy stress.
While many cases of fatigue can be rectified by changes in nutrition, environment, stress levels or sleep patterns, it may also be a symptom of a more serious problem. Because it is such a common complaint, it is often overlooked and relatively few people seek medical advice or take the necessary steps to changing an unhealthy lifestyle.
If you have been suffering with chronic fatigue it is important to examine your life-style and take action. If your fatigue continues, a medical evaluation is recommended.
Diagnosing Fatigue
Your doctor will ask you to describe the fatigue symptoms that you are experiencing. Keep a record of when you feel fatigued as the pattern of your fatigue may give clues to the underlying cause. For example note if you wake up feeling refreshed, but rapidly lose energy through the day, or if you wake up feeling tired and energy-less.
Your doctor will also need to ask about your medical history, your current life-style and how you’ve been feeling emotionally lately. A full medical check may also include blood tests to check for anemia, thyroid function, and possible infection as well as a urinalysis.
Fatigue symptoms can be accompanied by or manifest in a range of other physical and emotional complaints. These include:
- Constant tiredness or sleepiness
- Lack of energy
- Desire to sleep more
- Headaches
- Aching muscles or joints
- Muscle weakness
- Slower reflexes and responses rates
- Indecision and poor judgment
- Low mood, irritability or depression
- Changes in appetite
- Lowered immune system functioning
- Problems with short term memory
- Attention difficulties and poor concentration
- Poor motivation
Help for Fatigue
Fatigue will be treated according to the underlying cause. In some cases, simply adjusting your life-style to include appropriate dietary, exercise and sleep needs will be enough to combat fatigue. In other cases where medical causes are at play, treating the medical illness is the first plan of action.
Natural herbal and homeopathic remedies can be a great help when trying to combat fatigue. Certain herbs are known for their tonic effect on systemic functioning as well as their ability to increase strength and endurance, whileenergizing both mind and body.
Herbs such as Siberian Ginseng, Olea europea (extract of olive leaf) and Centella asiatica are commonly used to fight fatigue and boost energy without negative side effects - like those possible with pharmaceutical or dietary stimulants.
These herbal ingredients can be taken to naturally assist overall systemic functioning, help to balance all body systems naturally and are often taken by athletes, those recovering from illness or those that need the extra boost to help manage a busy life-style.
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