Causes Of Extreme Fatigue
What Causes Extreme Fatigue?
Every individual from time to time experiences tiredness for some reason or another but when it is recurrent, it is wise to have tests done to determine the causes of extreme fatigue.
Several conditions can cause fatigue, the most notable of which is simply lack of sleep. Insomnia, whether occasional or habitual, will deprive the body of much needed rest and result in the development of numerous other conditions. Once the problem is resolved and sleep patterns return to normal, the individual will see a decrease in fatigue and the other conditions that were symptomatic of the insomnia will disappear. When the fatigue is not relieved by rest, however, a red flag should be raised that something more sinister is at work in the body.
True, acute tiredness has a label; a disorder called Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. This condition is more than just an inability to fully rest. There are eight symptoms that are recognized as being standard with this condition and must be present for the diagnosis to be confirmed. First is the extreme exhaustion, normally occurring after some type of activity either mental or physical and remaining for about 24 hours after the activity has ended. Attempts to relieve the fatigue through sleep are ineffective; sleep occurs but is not revitalizing. New episodes of headache occur, either in their severity or in the manner that they occur.
Muscle pain, sometimes debilitating, will be present for which there is no cause. This pain will be in the joints; moving about from one joint to another but without the traditional swelling or redness that can occur with normal joint pain. Lymph nodes in the neck and armpits will become enlarged and painful. Throat irritation and soreness are present, as is lethargy. Lastly is the mental effects of the disorder; inability to concentrate on tasks or thoughts along with a distinct inability to remember events or facts. Various other symptoms are also reported, but may differ from one person to another.
Causes of extreme fatigue attributable to this condition are usually unknown. Typically, when a patient reports cases of fatigue to their doctor, numerous tests will be conducted to narrow the field of possibilities. On its own merit, fatigue can be a symptom of any number of disorders and illnesses. Infection could be present within the system, or it could even be indicative of a psychological disorder. If allowed to continue, the domino effect of the fatigue will begin to result in interference of daily life; normal functions at home, school or work will be detrimentally affected. When an individual experiences continuous fatigue, however, they should consult their doctor as soon as possible since early diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome has the best chance for a cure.
Anyone can develop CFS; however there are certain factors that lend a higher likelihood toward a person being affected. Women are four times more likely to experience Chronic Fatigue Syndrome than men. Also, people over the age of 40 seem to have more episodes of the disorder. Neither of these factors are proven risks; they are simply the documented factors. The numbers could merely indicate who is consulting their doctor with the symptoms and being diagnosed. It is difficult to pinpoint and confirm risk factors in the disorder such as CFS that does not have definite causes as of yet. Fortunately, more doctors are recognizing this disorder to be a serious condition that merits more medical attention to be directed toward research on symptoms, causes and risks.
The average person who experiences occasional tiredness is likely not suffering from CFS; it is only those enduring chronic and extreme fatigue along with the other noted symptoms who should be alerted to this disorder. The good news for those individuals is that, in most cases, the syndrome is full curable with little recurrence.