• Home
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
Saturday, February 27, 2021
  • Home
  • Side Effects
  • Health Tips
  • Human Anatomy
No Result
View All Result
Side Effects
  • Home
  • Side Effects
  • Health Tips
  • Human Anatomy
No Result
View All Result
Side Effects
No Result
View All Result

Illness-related fatigue: More than just feeling tired

Nina Anne Thompson by Nina Anne Thompson
October 21, 2020
in Health Tips
0 0
0
0
SHARES
22
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

[ad_1]

A common refrain during the COVID-19 pandemic is, “I’m so tired.” After months of adjusted living and anxiety, people are understandably weary. Parents who haven’t had a break from their kids are worn out. Those trying to juggle working from home with homeschooling are stretched thin. Between concerns about health, finances, and isolation, everyone is feeling some level of additional stress during this unusual time, and that’s tiring. We all could use a good, long nap — or better yet, a vacation.

But while a break would be nice, most people — except those who are actually sick with COVID-19 or other illnesses — are able to push through their fatigue, precisely because they aren’t sick. “Tired” is a nebulous word that covers a broad spectrum of levels of fatigue. A crucial distinction, however, is between regular fatigue and illness-related fatigue.

Regular fatigue

Everyday fatigue that is not illness-related starts with a baseline of health. You may feel sleepy, you may in fact be sleep-deprived, or your body and mind may be worn out from long hours, exertion, or unrelenting stress — but you don’t feel sick. Your muscles and joints don’t ache like when you have the flu. You are capable of getting out of bed and powering through the day, even if you don’t want to. A cup of coffee or a nap might perk you up.

This type of fatigue is usually related to external factors: lack of sleep, stress, an extra-hard workout. But internally, your body is working well: your glands and organs are operating properly; infection is not depleting your body of energy; your nervous system may be overtaxed, but it’s not frayed from actual impairment.

Illness-related fatigue

When I was acutely ill with persistent Lyme, babesiosis, and ehrlichiosis (all tick-borne illnesses), as well as chronic Epstein-Barr virus, a good night’s sleep did nothing. Naps were staples of my day that helped me survive but didn’t improve my energy. Drinking a cup of coffee was akin to treating an ear infection with candy. No matter how much I rested, my exhaustion persisted.

I felt like I had the flu, except it lasted for years. My whole body ached. I suffered migraine headaches. I had hallucinogenic nightmares. Exercise was out of the question; at times, I was literally too tired to walk up a flight of stairs or sit at the dinner table. I couldn’t concentrate, unable to read or watch TV. Sometimes I was too tired to talk.

There was no pushing through this level of fatigue, because it was caused by internal factors: illnesses that were ravaging my body. Only when they were adequately treated did I start to get my energy back.

For me, the root causes were bacterial infections (Lyme, ehrlichiosis), a parasite (babesiosis), and a virus (Epstein-Barr). Profound fatigue may also result from a host of other diseases and conditions, including chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and multiple sclerosis.

Is it everyday fatigue or illness-related fatigue?

When determining whether your tiredness is everyday fatigue or illness-related, consider the following questions:

  • Do you feel worn out, or do you feel sick?
  • Have you experienced this before, or does it feel more extreme or unrelenting?
  • When you lessen the load of external factors (work, stress, long days) does the fatigue improve, or does it persist?
  • Do you feel refreshed after a good night’s sleep or a nap?
  • Can you go about your day, or is it impossible to get out of bed?
  • Has the fatigue persisted longer than you would expect?
  • Are you experiencing other symptoms that might point to illness?

The bottom line

No one knows your body better than you do. You know what feels normal, and you know what you feel like when you’re sick. If you are not responding to regular fatigue remedies, your fatigue has persisted over time, you have other symptoms, or you just don’t feel right, it’s probably time to call your doctor.

The post Illness-related fatigue: More than just feeling tired appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

[ad_2]

Source link

Previous Post

Chronic Use of Heartburn Prescriptions Can Cause Diabetes

Next Post

The Definitive Guide to the Carnivore Diet

Nina Anne Thompson

Nina Anne Thompson

I'm Nina Anne Thompson. I am a final year medical student as well an entrepreneur. I've created this blog to share my health knowledge with the world.

Next Post

The Definitive Guide to the Carnivore Diet

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Popular Posts

trintellix side effects
Side Effects

8 Must Know Facts on Trintellix Side Effects

by Nina Anne Thompson
September 7, 2019
0

Trintellix is a drug used to treat the patient suffering from depression and related problems. So, you might not familiar...

Read more

How many bones are in the human body?

September 15, 2019
flonase side effects

Flonase Side Effects and Current Medical Uses

September 2, 2019
Cbd pain cream

CBD Pain Cream is One of the Best Pain Relievers in 2020!

October 14, 2020

Could This Be the Answer to AFib, NAFLD and Other Diseases?

October 22, 2020

Follow Us

Recent Posts

best-lab-certified-cbd
Health Tips

Best lab-certified CBD – E1011 Labs – “E Ten Eleven Labs”

by Nina Anne Thompson
February 17, 2021
0

E1011 Labs endeavors to bring the next generation of self-care and personal wellness with innovative design and thoughtfully crafted formulations....

Read more
Health Officials Make Crucial Error in Vaccine Recommendation

Health Officials Make Crucial Error in Vaccine Recommendation

February 16, 2021
young woman with allergies

Can dust mite allergy be treated with a pill?

February 15, 2021
Thyme Extract Helps Treat COVID-19

Thyme Extract Helps Treat COVID-19

February 15, 2021
A reminder of the importance of blood and organ donation. Hands holding a heart with a message that reads: Organ donors save lives.

Flowers, chocolates, organ donation — are you in?

February 14, 2021
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
Contact Us - moresideeffects@gmail.com

Copyright © 2020 | Side Effects & Health Tips

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Side Effects
  • Health Tips
  • Human Anatomy
  • Contact Us

Copyright © 2020 | Side Effects & Health Tips

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Create New Account!

Fill the forms bellow to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In