Fatigue is a medical term that describes a patient who feels chronically tired. The definition can seem as vague as the disease. However, chronic fatigue is real and can have life-altering consequences if not treated. Fatigue can be caused by a myriad of disease processes. Locating the root of the problem is crucial.
What is Fatigue?
Fatigue is a symptom, not an independent disease process. It is characterized by an overwhelming need to sleep or rest. Those who experience it often describe it as exhaustion. Sufferers state they feel unable to continue with their day without lying down to rest. However, rest does not relieve the feeling or relieves it temporarily. Fatigue is usually a temporary condition. It can be the result of poor sleep, overwork, worry, excessive exercise or physical activity, or even boredom. Most healthcare practitioners recommend that if a person has fatigue that is unrelieved after two weeks they should seek medical care.
Weakness and fatigue often occur together. With weakness muscles are often sore and feel heavy. The person may or may not feel tired, but they feel that walking or working requires an excessive amount of energy they do not have. They sometimes describe as feeling their limbs will not support their weight if they try to walk or proceed with normal activities.
A person suffering from weakness and fatigue is unable to participate in their daily life. The excessive tiredness causes a lot of mental and physical stress. Symptoms that are unrelieved after two weeks need to be evaluated by a professional.
Possible Causes of Why You Are So Tired
Some of the underlying disease processes include hypothyroidism, flu, stress, medications and other medical or mental health conditions. Finding the cause can be difficult and require persistence and patience on the part of the patient and the physician.
Like most things, the physician will rule out the common causes first. A physical exam, basic blood work and a review of medications are the first steps to discovering the cause. If the common things are ruled out the physician will proceed to other potential causes. Some people become frustrated with the time and effort it takes to drill down to a definitive cause. They begin to feel hopeless and quit coming to the physician. This will only result in having to start the process over with the next physician.
Chronic weakness and fatigue are not going to suddenly stop. The cause has to be determined and treated before the person will begin to get relief. Staying with one healthcare practitioner can help facilitate finding a cause much quicker than jumping around to various doctors.
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