Fatigue
Fatigue is a common and understandable complaint given the busy lives that so many of us lead these days. It’s normal to feel tired at the end of a long day or week or after a period of intense activity. It’s also normal to get tired more quickly as we age.
What’s not normal is to feel tired all the time. It’s not normal to experience fatigue or exhaustion on a regular basis to the extent that it keeps you from doing the things you want or need to do.
There are sometimes no easy medical answers to frequent or chronic fatigue – in part because there are so many factors that can contribute to that experience.
Sleeping Problems
Some people feel tired all the time because they don’t get enough sleep or the quality of their sleep is poor. Some medical conditions that affect quality sleep include:
- Sleep apnea
- Restless leg syndrome
- Narcolepsy (falling asleep often and suddenly)
- Pain
- Nocturia (frequent need to urinate during the night)
Breathing Problems
Difficulty breathing can contribute to frequent fatigue. Breathing problems are also often indicators of more serious disease.
- COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)
- Congestive Heart Failure
Stress or Anxiety
High levels of stress, worry and/or anxiety often make it difficult to get restful sleep. Temporary, short-term stress or anxiety is clearly unpleasant but is unlikely to have a long-term negative effect regarding fatigue or overall health. Constant stress can have many negative effects on health, including but not limited to fatigue.
Other Medical Problems
In fact, there are many medical conditions that may contribute to the feeling of fatigue, which is why the root cause(s) of fatigue are often difficult to diagnose.
- Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid gland)
- Anemia
- Low blood pressure
- Liver disease
- Medication side effects
- Allergies
- Depression
- Fibromyalgia
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Epstein-Barr Virus (can cause infectious mononucleosis)
- CMV (cytomegalovirus infection – similar symptoms to mononucleosis)
Dr. Fink’s Approach to Fatigue Problems
My job is to try and sort out the story to see if there may be simple adjustments that can be made or whether a complete workup needs to be done.
Diagnosis of the cause of frequent fatigue is often not solved in a single visit and sometimes requires some degree of trial and error to eliminate some possible causes and identify others that may be indicated for each patient.
I also keep an open mind as I work through the problem with my patient and encourage them to do the same. If specialty referral is indicated, I work closely with the specialist to coordinate optimal care and communication for the benefit of the patient.
Don’t ignore or “Live With” the Problem
If you are experiencing frequent fatigue, it’s not an issue to ignore or accept. There may or may not be a serious underlying medical issue. Call our office to schedule an appointment.
