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Background
Fatigue usually occurs after a viral illness or during or after a particularly stressful period or event. The onset of the fatigue may be without any reason and can occur at any point of the illness or stressful period.
Causes
Although fatigue has no single cause, there are a variety of physical and emotional reasons for the onset of fatigue. The following list is not exhaustive. The presence of any or several of these is not a reason for fatigue. It can appear for no reason at all. - Low blood sugar
- Low blood pressure
- Anemia
- Allergies
- Immune system dysfunctions
- Hormone fluctuations
- Viral infections
- Depression
Symptoms and Types
Chronic fatigue syndrome can manifest itself as any or several of the following eight symptoms: - Sore muscles without any physical activity
- Joint pain that affects a different joint at different times
- Painful and enlarged lymph nodes
- Disturbed sleep
- Headache
- Bad memory and poor concentration
- Sore throat
- Extreme state of exhaustion that stays till about 24 hours after a strenuous physical or mental workout
If any four of the above recurs for at least six months without any plausible reason, the person could be suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Although this list is not exhaustive, other symptoms may include: - Morning stiffness
- Dizziness
- Shortness of breath
- Weight gain or loss
- Dry mouth
- Night sweats
- Heart Palpitations
Diagnosis - Doctors usually follow the exclusion method to rule out the presence of any other illness before confirming that a person suffers from CFS.
- Fatigue can be caused by a thyroid imbalance, sleep apnea, diabetes, anemia, obesity, depression, previous incidence of cancer, alcohol abuse, and other diseases.
- Tests may be carried out to confirm or reject conclusions.
- Eating disorders and certain medications also lead to fatigue that is different from CFS.
Conventional Treatment - There is no single and specific treatment for CFS but a combination of several treatments are used to relieve the fatigue.
- If a individual is under severe work or routine stress, he or she may be asked to slow down the activity rate. This shouldn't be so slow as to allow lethargy to set in, but maintaining a judicious level of activity at all times is important.
- Steady exercise can build stamina; however, it is important for individuals not to over-exert themselves as post-exercise malaise is a common symptom of CFS.
- Cognitive behavioral therapy can be used to remove negative thoughts and help to treat the depression which is common among individuals suffering from chronic fatigue.
- Other existing illnesses like low blood pressure and low blood sugar may be treated to reduce the manifestation of symptoms.
Complementary, Alternative, and Integrative Treatment Popular alternative treatments for fatigue may include: - Acupuncture has been proven effective in the treatment of fibromyalgia, condition which is very similar to CFS.
- Aromatherapy uses essential oils like rosemary to treat fatigue. The oils are used in bath water or massage sessions.
- Herbology uses herbal infusions like ginger root combined with ginseng, and balmony to treat fatigue.
- Yoga
- Meditation
- Applied Kinesiology
- Ayurvedic Medicine
- Tai Chi
- Naturopathy
- Homeopathy
- Traditional Chinese Medicine
- Reiki and other forms of energy healing
Prevention
Unless a major illness brings an onset of CFS, getting enough sleep, eating, exercising, and reducing or eliminating can prevent CFS. References
http://www.mayoclinic.com Copyright 2008, rVeda, Inc. |
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