Fatigue Fatigue refers to a feeling of tiredness or weariness.
It can be temporary or chronic. Almost every person has to work overtime on certain occasions, sacrificing rest and sleep, which may cause temporary fatigue. This condition can be remedied by adequate rest. Chronic or continuous fatigue is, however, a serious problem, which requires a comprehensive plan of treatment. Chronic fatigue can result from a variety of factors. A specific character trait, compulsiveness, can lead to con¬tinuous fatigue.
Many persons constantly feel that they cannot take rest until they finish everything that needs to be done at one time. These persons are usually perfectionists, tense and cannot relax unless they complete the whole job, no matter how tired they may be. Causes of Fatigue:The chief cause of fatigue is lowered vitality or lack of energy due to wrong feeding habits. Fatigue’s an indication that the cells of the body are not getting sufficient live atoms in the food to furnish them with the constant flow of needed energy. The habitual use of refined foods such as white sugar, refined cereals and white flour products as well as processed, tinned and preserved foods have a very bad effect on the system in general. Foods 'denatured' in this way are deprived, to a very great extent, of their invaluable vitamins and minerals.
Such foods lead to nervousness, tiredness, obesity and a host of other complaint prevalent today. Certain physical conditions can cause fatigue. Anaemia is a very common ailment leading to tiredness. It is known as 'tired blood' disturbance. In anaemia, very little oxygen reaches the tissues with the result that energy cannot be produced normally. This causes constant tiredness and mental depression. Anaemia usually results from deficiencies of iron and vitamin B 12. Sometimes deficiencies of vitamin B6 and folic acid are also involved. Insomnia or lack of sleep can be a cause of torturing fatigue. Sleep induced by sleeping pills and other drugs Joes not banish fatigue. In fact the longer sleeping pills are used, the more nagging and chronic the fatigue becomes. Besides causing fatigue, sleeping pills lead to nervous tension, which increases fatigue still more. The harmful effects of wakefulness are indeed small com¬pared with the effects of sleeping pills. Correcting diet and developing the will to relax can remedy insomnia. Intestinal parasites can also lead to fatigue as they rob the body of good nourishment and gorge themselves on rich red blood. Other ailments which can cause fatigue are low blood pressure, low blood sugar, any kind of infection in the body, liver damage, a sluggish thyroid and allergy to certain foods and drugs caused by additives including artificial flavors, colours and preservatives. Mental tension is one of the major causes of fatigue. The person who is tense and cannot relax has all the muscles of his body more or less contracted.
This leads to needless waste of unusually large amounts of energy. Food is continuously burnt, lactic acid accumulates more rapidly than it can be carried to the liver for conversion to body starch. Persons who are high-strung, nervous and irritable usually suffer from this type of fatigue. Unresolved emotional problems can also result in fatigue. Resentment to a situation, environment and even to a person can greatly contribute to the feeling of tiredness. It is better to express one's emotions rather than store them. Other emotional factors like worry, a feeling of boredom and a defeatist mentality can result in fatigue. |
