19 Feb Why am I always so tired?
Have you noticed that the physical fatigue you are feeling persists, without receding after sleep and rest? Do you feel unexplained pain in your muscles and joints without suffering from a rheumatic disease?
Do you often experience headaches, severe physical exhaustion, tremors and myalgias? Do you have difficulty in concentrating and completing your usual activities? Do you have problems with memory and sleep, as well as cold symptoms (e.g. low fever, swollen lymph nodes, sore throat)?
A simple question that’s hard to answer. Why do I feel tired?
The human body needs huge amounts of energy on a daily basis in order to carry out its activities adequately. With the ingredients from the food we eat and the oxygen in the air, our cells are able to produce the necessary energy, in order for our body to function. These biochemical reactions that occur at a cellular level result in the production of carbon dioxide, which is released into the atmosphere.
The coexistence of four or more of the following symptoms, for a period of at least six consecutive months,, are considered to be the result of disruption of our body’s energy production process.
Possible symptoms are:
- Impaired memory or impaired ability to concentrate
- sore throat
- Lymphadenopathy (swollen lymph nodes)
- Myalgia
- Polyarthralgia (pain of all joints) without swelling or redness
- Headache
- Sleep disorders – morning fatigue
- Fatigue, which lasts more than 24 hours, after intense exercise
* CDC- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Many scientific teams around the globe have examined and analyzed the daily life of people suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in order to identify common characteristics and patterns. The pathological conditions that can coexist in the patient’s body, but also other parameters that occur in his body when he suffers from this syndrome are listed below:
- Patients with chronic fatigue syndrome had higher levels of both pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory levels of cytokines, which are activated in inflammatory conditions.
- Some experts believe that chronic fatigue syndrome is caused by a combination of factors, such as an overactive immune system and hormonal disorders.
- Studies also show that the majority of people with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome can gradually regain their physical balance over time. However, the rate and speed of recovery depend to a large extent on the quality of the therapeutic procedure followed.
- According to a study conducted in the United Kingdom, insufficient rest of the body during sleep has been found to be associated with chronic fatigue and chronic pain.
- Patients suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome have different levels of certain cytokines in comparison to healthy individuals, while 17 cytokines’ levels are associated with disease severity. Cytokines stimulate the movement of the body’s defense cells to areas of inflammation, infection and trauma and in addition they have a central immune-regulatory role.
- It is important for all people suffering from chronic fatigue to take measures to strengthen and properly regulate the immune system with proper nutrition and abstinence from smoking.
- Exposure to bright light in the morning modifies the stages of sleep. As a result the functionality of the muscular system, is optimized during the day and its sensitivity to painful stimuli is reduced.
How to Avoid Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Move your desk near the window
- Walk in the sun in the morning
- Choose east-facing offices and workplaces
- Avoid exposure to bright light and electronic devices late in the afternoon and evening
Exhaustion is one of the most common phenomena of our time and the exact causes of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) – as experts call it – are not known. However, CFS is a relatively common disease, as it is estimated to occur in about 0.8% of the population, with half of the patients, in fact, needing treatment from specialized centers. It should be noted that the percentages increase a lot if we refer to fatigue that is associated with Chronic Diseases.
References:
- Science Advances 27 Feb 2015: Vol. 1 no. 1 e1400121 DOI:10.1126/sciadv.1400121 The Lancet Psychiatry Volume 2, No. 2, p141–152, February 2015
- Occup Environ Med doi: 10.1136/oemed-2014-102548 Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice , February 2015Volume 21, Issue 1, Pages 26–32
- NICE, Clinical Guideline 53. Chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (or encephalopathy). Diagnosis and management of CFS/ME in adults and children, 2007.
- White P, Goldsmith K, Johnson A, et al. Comparison of adaptive pacing therapy, cognitive behavior therapy, graded exercise therapy, and specialist medical care for chronic fatigue syndrome (PACE): a randomized trial. Lancet 2011; 377: 823–36
- Clayton et al. Beyond Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Redefining and illness. JAMA 2015;313(11):1101-1102.
- ohnston et al. The prevalence of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis: a meta-analysis. Clinical Epidemiology 2013;5:105–110.
- NICE, Clinical Guideline 53. Chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (or encephalopathy). Diagnosis and management of CFS/ME in adults and children, 2007.
- lader et al. Poststroke Fatigue A 2-Year Follow-Up Study of Stroke Patients in Sweden. Stroke, 2002;33:1327-1333.
- May et al. Improved physical fitness of cancer survivors: A randomised controlled trial comparing physical training with physical and cognitive-behavioural training. Acta Oncologica, 2008;47(5):825-83.