Fatigue is a symptom of many chronic illnesses, but… What is it? What does it feel like?

Fatigue is a feeling of complete exhaustion that does not improve with rest or sleep. It’s muscle weakness and constant tiredness physically, mentally, or both. Fatigue is sometimes described as being the same as extreme tiredness or sleepiness, but it’s far different. Tiredness and sleepiness can be resolved with a nap, whereas fatigue will remain even with a nap and plentiful rest.

Symptoms of fatigue are: 

• Weakness

• Dizziness

• Lightheadedness

• Heaviness in limbs

• Slow reflexes

• Headache

• Muscle pain

• Significant cognitive impairment: difficulty concentrating, blurry vision, short-term memory loss, and even hallucinations.

All of these can result in depression, irritability, or low motivation.

Fatigue is one of my worst symptoms. Other than pain, it’s one of the things I’ve struggled with the most since my health crashed years ago. At its worst, my fatigue can be so severe that it’s too hard to lift my fingers to send a text. I wish I were exaggerating, but sadly I’m not. I’m fortunate that doesn’t happen too often anymore, but I still experience fatigue every day.

If you’re struggling with fatigue and you don’t think it’s related to diet or stress, you should consult a doctor to find the root cause of your fatigue.

What causes Fatigue?

There are a lot of different causes of fatigue from lifestyle factors to medical conditions.

Some Examples of Lifestyle Factors Are:

• Stress

• Grief

• Poor diet

• Excessive alcohol or drug use

• Medication side effects

• Obesity

Just about any medical condition I can think of can cause fatigue. If you can find the root cause, you can work on treating those conditions and hopefully your fatigue will improve. 

Just a Few Medical Conditions That Cause Fatigue Are:

• Depression

• Fibromyalgia

• Myalgic Encephalitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)

• Cancer

• Diabetes

• Asthma

• Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)

• Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS)

• Lyme Disease

• Anxiety

• Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS)

• Anemia

• Autoimmune disorders

• Thyroid disorders like Addison’s disease or hypothyroidism

• Lung diseases like cystic fibrosis, emphysema, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

This isn’t an exhaustive list, so don’t be concerned if your condition(s) isn’t on it. Your fatigue is valid and deserves to be treated properly!

How is Fatigue Treated?

Fatigue and low energy can be treated with medications and lifestyle changes. A holistic approach to fatigue is generally the best way to approach treatment. By addressing your lifestyle factors, treating your medical condition (if you have one), and supporting your mental health, you should hopefully feel some relief.

Fatigue Treatments Typically Are:

• Treating your underlying medical condition (if you have one)

• Reducing your stress

• Practicing good sleep hygiene

• Exercising regularly

• Eating healthy

• Hydration

• Mindfulness/Meditation

• Therapy

• Learning how to pace yourself

Medical treatments are typically medications, supplements, or diet changes depending on your underlying condition. 

In addition to medical management, it’s really important to reduce your stress. If you’re constantly in fight-or-flight mode and running on adrenaline, you’re going to crash and burn. 

Sleep hygiene is another big one. Some ways to improve your sleep are: 

• Avoiding caffeine and alcohol

• Making your room cool and dark

• Avoiding screens and TV at least an hour before bed

• Winding down before bed by reading or journaling

• Going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day

• Only using your bed for sleep (not work!!).

It seems counterintuitive, but regular exercise is essential for fatigue. If you’re not sure where to start, seeing a physical therapist is a great place to start. They can advise you on a medical regimen that’s safe and appropriate for you.

Dietary changes are often prescribed as well. It’s important to eat healthy, whole foods if you can access them. Try to eat the rainbow as much as you can and make sure you’re getting enough protein! You can find tons of recipes and tips for living a healthy lifestyle on Mind Body Green. If you’re still struggling with this, ask your doctor for a referral for a nutritionist to help get you started.

Staying hydrated is the simplest thing you can do to improve your fatigue! Dehydration might not be the underlying cause of your fatigue, but it certainly isn’t helping it.

Mindfulness and meditation are great tools to help treat your fatigue. Mindfulness practices have been shown to boost your mood, reduce stress, and increase energy levels. You can find tips on mindfulness practices here.

It’s often overlooked, but therapy is a great way to work through your fatigue as well. Fatigue and chronic medical conditions can take a big emotional toll on your mental health. Seeing a therapist can give you the support and tools you need to stay emotionally healthy and strong.

When you’re living with fatigue and low energy, you have to learn how to pace yourself. It’s better to go slowly than pushing yourself until you eventually crash. With practice and time, effective pacing can actually improve your energy! To do this, try to do less than you think you’re capable of doing and spread out your commitments as much as you can. Instead of hanging out with friends two days in a row, try having a rest day in between. Additionally, cut down parts of your routine if you can. You can try out my 5-minute hair and makeup routines so it doesn’t take as much energy to get ready. Small changes can make a big difference.

Fatigue doesn’t always go away with the above treatments, but it should lessen a little bit. These changes can be very overwhelming if you’ve never undergone drastic lifestyle changes or medical treatment before. Feeling overwhelmed is normal, and you’re not alone. It’s okay to take your time and go at your own pace. 

If you feel like you need some help managing it all, you can schedule a consult call with me here to chat about how you can make lifestyle and mindset changes to adapt your life to your fatigue.

Fatigue can be discouraging and mentally taxing, but all hope isn’t lost. Millions of people function with fatigue every single day. If they can, you can too :)