Fatigue

The lack of physical and mental energy is known as fatigue. It is often expressed as tiredness, lethargy and exhaustion. Physical fatigue means the person is unable to perform physical activities and mental fatigue indicates the sleepy feel and lack of concentration.

It is to be noted that the fatigue is not a disease but a sign of some abnormality in the body. It is a very common complaint and almost each of us must have experienced it.

CAUSES OF FATIGUE

Major causes of fatigue are:

• Insomnia

• Anxiety

• Depression

• Metabolic disorders like diabetes

• Certain drugs like steroids

• Heart and lung disorders such as COPD

• Vitamins deficiency

• Minerals deficiency

• Chronic pain

SYMPTOMS OF FATIGUE

Common symptoms of fatigue are:

• Lack of motivation

• Sleepiness

• Headache

• Sore muscles

• Moodiness

• Difficulty in concentrating

• Slow response

• Subnormal reflexes

• Loss of appetite

DIAGNOSIS

Fatigue is a subjective matter and usually the patient knows his condition. However, in case of any ambiguity, a doctor can make a diagnosis by taking a complete medical history about his previous and current illnesses and by performing a general physical examination of the patient.

TREATMENT

Effective treatment is based on abolishing the causative factors and making up the body’s deficiencies. The person should get a proper sleep to avoid fatigue. Antibiotics are used to terminate infections that might be causing any disease and fatigue. Blood sugar levels, minerals and vitamins should be checked and kept at optimum quantities. Obesity and all the current disease of patient should also be treated.