A morning should always be good; but when it starts with a headache or fatigue you tend to say what is so good about this morning. It not only kills our morale to get up from the bed but also makes us less productive at work. Long time fatigue or in medical terms Tired All The Time Syndrome (TATTS) is a matter of concern and should be fixed as early as possible. To find a cure for the ever feeling tiredness let us try to find out its causes.
Sleep Deprivation: we all need a relaxed 7-8 hours of sleep in all to alleviate the day’s tiredness. A disrupted sleep can be the most common cause of tiredness. Try making a regular schedule of sleeping and waking to prevent this. Sleep disorders and sleep apnoea (a respiratory disease which leads to temporary pauses in breathing during sleep and thus disturbs sleep) are also one of the causes of inadequate sleep. Consult a doctor if you are not able to doze off despite several attempts.
Dehydration: How tired we feel after a walk in the sun or after a bout of diarrhoea or vomiting. Draining out of water from our bodies is one of the most common causes of tiredness. Keep a check of your water intake and do not forget to drink at least 8 glasses of water in a day.
Low calorie intake: intake of inadequate calories can also lead to fatigue. Our entire body mechanism is based on availability of energy. Our brain needs continuous supply of glucose and oxygen. We all yawn not only when we feel sleepy but also when our brain is trying to gather oxygen from our environment. A low calorie intake makes us physically as well as mentally tired. Include adequate calories according to your body’s requirements to alleviate tiredness.
Hidden diseases: Few diseases are symptomless or have no obvious symptoms; but they lead to chronic tiredness. Hypothyroidism (poor activity of thyroid gland), Diabetes, Anaemia, Urinary Tract Infection, Depression, various Cancers are few of such diseases. Do not ignore chronic tiredness and consult a doctor to rule out any of these above mentioned diseases.
Deficiency of certain vitamins and minerals: Our body’s cells rely on vitamins and minerals to generate energy from the food we eat. A high percentage of adults in our country eat less than the minimum daily allowance of many essential vitamins and minerals. Nutrient deficiencies cause fatigue as they impair cellular energy production which may result in excessive tiredness and lack of energy along with many other symptoms. Following are the most important nutrients related to fatigue:
- B Vitamins: B Vitamins are necessary for converting food into energy. If you are lacking in B vitamins, either because your needs are increased or you are not taking in sufficient amounts, the ability of your cells to generate energy will be compromised.
- Magnesium: Another mineral required by our body to generate energy from the foods we eat.
- Iron and other haemopoietic (blood forming) nutrients: iron, folic acid, vitamin B12,zinc and vitamin C are few of the vitamins and minerals which help in formation and maturation of various blood cells at various points of their life cycle. Deficiency of any of these nutrients can result in anaemia (less number or poor quality of blood cells). Anaemia compromises the body’s ability to carry oxygen which causes fatigue and breathlessness.
A deficiency of any of the above mentioned nutrients can be deciphered by practitioners by either testing or physical examination and necessary diet or supplements can be administered to cover the deficiency.
A tired you is just not acceptable neither for you nor for your work or your family. If you feel the never ending tiredness attached with you all the time try to find the cause and live life to its fullest.
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