How To Overcome Fatigue
Fatigue can be caused by many things. The most common causes of fatigue include vitamin deficiencies, medical conditions, certain foods and medications, sleep problems, mental health, and lifestyle habits.
Vitamin Deficiencies
Key vitamins and minerals needed for proper bodily function include vitamin B, vitamin D,
iron, magnesium, and potassium. If we find ourselves low in any of these, we could
experience fatigue. For bariatric surgery patients, having routine blood tests will ensure
that you know which vitamins and minerals require extra supplementation. These deficiencies
are often treated by multivitamins or dietary changes, such as eating iron, magnesium, and
potassium rich foods.
Sleep Problems
Sleep problems include conditions such as:
- Insomnia- the inability to fall and or stay asleep for prolonged periods of time
- Treatment-strict bedtime routines, medications, relaxation techniques, and avoidance of caffeine and alcohol
- Sleep apnea- the patient stops breathing while sleeping
- Treatment-side positioning while asleep, CPAP machine, and avoidance of alcohol. In addition, bariatric surgery can significantly reduce weight and thus improve sleep
- Narcolepsy- suddenly falling asleep
- Treatment-scheduled naps and medication
- Restless leg syndrome-an uncontrollable urge to move your legs while resting
- Treatment-Behavioral therapy and medication
Medical Conditions
Conditions that cause fatigue are:
-
Fibromyalgia– causes multi-site pain, or regions of
pain throughout the body; this prolonged pain can cause stress, which, if left
untreated, can lead to anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and ultimately, fatigue
- Treatment-Exercise and pain control
- Hypothyroidism/Hyperthyroidism-when the thyroid gland is either being over or under
active. Fatigue is typically seen in patients whose thyroid is under-active
- Treatment-Thyroid medications and possible surgery
-
Diabetes– a condition where abnormally
high levels of sugar remain in the blood stream even after the patient has had enough to
eat. This means the patient runs out of energy faster.
- Treatment-diet, exercise, insulin therapy, and medications that help the body process sugar more efficiently. You can also learn more about bariatric surgery for type 2 diabetes.
- Electrolyte abnormalities-caused by dehydration that creates imbalances that include
sodium, magnesium, and potassium
- Treatment-fluids, diet, and supplements
- Liver disease-an inflamed or irritated liver can cause fatigue
- Treatment-make changes in your diet, avoid alcohol, and take prescribed medication
- Cushing’s disease-Hormonal changes that include high levels of cortisol (the bodies main stress hormone). This causes unusual
weigh gain, the patient to bruise easily, and fatigue.
- Treatment-Stress reduction is key. This means better sleep, diet, and physical activity. Medications and surgery may also be a possibility.
- Celiac disease-the patient’s body is unable to breakdown and absorb the protein gluten
from foods such as malt, barley, wheat, and rye
- Treatments-the only treatment is a gluten free diet
Mental Health
Both depression and anxiety can cause fatigue. A patient with depression will experience a prolonged period of feeling down and uninterested in the things that typically make them happy. Similarly, a patient with anxiety will experience prolonged periods of feeling immense worry without probable cause.
Treatment of these two conditions includes stress management, as unaddressed stress can develop into both of these conditions. It’s important to remember when we are feeling stressed, down, or anxious to reach out to a support system that can help keep us accountable for your actions. Early treatment with a professional is also highly suggested.
If you are needing another pillar of support pre-or post-op bariatric surgery, ProCare Health offers monthly support groups that are free!
Foods And Medications
Food is fuel. So, it’s important to prioritize what we decide to put in our bodies. It’s highly recommended that we keep food journals. This will help us pinpoint possible inflammatory triggers; it makes experimenting with our diets much easier. It’s also suggested that we avoid excess amounts of caffeine and alcohol, while simultaneously increasing how much water we have a day. Hydration is key to proper bodily function.
As previously mentioned, sleep plays a large factor in whether or not we feel fatigued throughout the day. Another suggestion for those of us looking to get a better night’s sleep is to try a natural sleep aid like melatonin or Valerian before we go to bed. You can also ask your doctor to refer you to a sleep study to learn more about why you are not getting a good night’s sleep.
Lifestyle Habits
It’s best to start the day off right. If we’re getting the right amount of sleep, and have developed a solid sleep cycle, then waking up without hitting snooze should be a breeze. Follow that up with a healthy breakfast and time to just relax and we can’t go wrong. Again, we can’t stress this enough, diet is a key player here. Lunch should be just as nutritious as breakfast. We should also feel free to throw in some easy snacks throughout the day to ensure we maintain our energy levels.
We should also make time for self-care. Self-care is an important piece of any well balance routine. If we love ourselves then we should show our bodies and minds some love. Exercise and meditation are great ways to implement self-care into our routines.
Finally, at the end of the day we should put all distractions and electronics aside and prepare for bed. As mentioned earlier medication like melatonin and Valerian help, but so do things like a relaxing tea! There are so many different options when it comes to creating the perfect lifestyle tailored to our specific needs. It may seem a little overwhelming at first but implement these tips and tricks and fatigue will be a thing of the past.
Don’t forget! We have a recorded LIVE on our Crowdcast channel just for you on overcoming fatigue! Follow the link:
