Fatigue is a common problem through which the patient suffers from exhausting physical and mental conditions. Physical and mental exhaustion are different than each other, but they usually occur together. Long term physical exhaustion can also result in mental exhaustion. Also bad habits of sleeping, such as short-term sleeps, can result in this problem. One should consider that 7 to 8 hours of sleeping per day for adults who are older than 18, is considered as sufficient amount of rest and can result in happy and active lifestyle.

There are different types of fatigue:

Physical exhaustion: In this case individual can barely do his or her daily routines. In extreme cases even climbing stairs can be very difficult for the individual due to severe muscular weakness.

Mental fatigue: In this case, individual can hardly concentrate on his or her work. Feeling sleepy constantly and having problems for waking up in the morning and attending classes or going to work are other symptoms of this type of fatigue.

Reasons behind fatigue

Mental health issues

This problem can be triggered due to sadness, discomfort, excessive usage of alcohol or drugs, mental tensions or stress, family problems such as divorce or other complications. Those who are suffering from depression are also classified in this group.

Disturbance in the balance of the endocrine and general system of the body:

Sometimes due to illnesses and other situations, a disturbance in the general balance of the body’s system and the endocrine may occur. These situations include: Pregnancy, excessive weight, cancer, diabetes, digestive or heart diseases and kidney failures.

Usage or abstain of drugs and medicines:

In some cases a change in the trend of drug usage, especially in addicted individuals, can cause them to feel a severe fatigue. This is a common case in the procedure of quitting drugs and sometimes can be uncontrollable.

Disorder in sleep routine

Any disorder in sleep routine, such as sleeping late or for less than 7 to 8 hours, can result in this problem.

Presence of chemicals or lack of essential nutrient

Deficiency of vital vitamins and nutrient, poisoning and extensive usage of alcoholic beverages can cause problems in sleeping and body system and eventually lead to this problem.

Excessive or minimum physical activity

Individuals who are less active, usually suffer from this problem. On the other side, those who have excessive physical activities during day also suffer from extensive physical pressure and exhaustion.

Treatments for fatigue:

Diagnostic tests:

This can be helpful for final diagnosis of the reasons behind this problem. Urinalysis, visual scans, mental health surveys and blood tests can be helpful in case of each different particular symptom. Tests can help patient to cure and prevent physical reasons behind fatigue, such as: infections, hormonal problems, anemia and liver or kidney problems. Doctors can also prescribe a sleeping schedule in order to cure or prevent sleeping disorders. As soon as the illness diagnosed, it can be treated. As an example, controlling diabetes can solve this problem.

Other activities that can be helpful in treating fatigue:

• Yoga, deep breathing and meditation techniques
• Sufficient sleep (have enough rest and make a peaceful environment for your bedroom)
• Take a shower with warm water
• Listening to a relaxing music
• Healthy diet (Eating fresh fruit and vegetables and avoid drinking alcoholic beverages or drinks with caffeine)
• Regular physical activities (Try to have a regular exercising routine in regard to your physical conditions)
• Keep a balance in driving (avoid driving for long hours continually)

Summary:

Fatigue is an expression to describe a general feeling of low energy which causes individuals to feel less energetic. Mild symptoms of this disorder include tingling and numbness which usually develops due to imbalance in some of the healthy daily routines or due to illnesses. This disorder can be treated by restoring healthy habits or treating the illness.