Physical Health Conditions that Might Cause Fatigue
Fatigue is a common symptom of many health conditions and can impact your quality of life. Fatigue is a symptom that affects how you feel, act, and think. Symptoms may include sleep disturbances, tiredness, inability to perform daily activities, and feelings of depression or anxiety. Your naturopathic doctor Salt Lake City, UT, uses a variety of treatment options to help patients deal with fatigue. Patients may benefit from lifestyle changes, such as increasing physical activity or eating a healthy diet. Other therapies may include:
- Nutritional supplements, such as vitamins and minerals that help the body process food more efficiently
- Herbal formulas that have been used to treat fatigue for centuries
- Mind-body therapies that help patients feel calmer and more relaxed
- Supplements that boost the immune system
Many physical health conditions might cause fatigue. Some of these include:
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a progressive lung disease that makes it difficult to breathe even with the use of a breathing machine. COPD can cause fatigue and other symptoms, such as shortness of breath or fatigue because it impacts how your body uses oxygen. You may experience symptoms at the onset of COPD, which often worsens over time. As you get older, COPD may also affect your ability to perform daily activities like shopping or housework.
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a serious, complex, and unpredictable illness. It can cause extreme fatigue that affects your daily activities and makes it hard to carry out normal tasks. The symptoms of CFS usually appear gradually over time and can range from mild to severe.
Diabetes mellitus is a disease in which the body does not produce enough insulin or does not use it effectively. Insulin helps glucose enter cells to use it for energy; this process is called glucose uptake. Too much glucose builds up in the bloodstream without proper insulin production or glucose uptake, leading to high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia).
People with liver disease often experience fatigue because their bodies cannot properly break down certain nutrients and medications, which leads to a waste buildup in the body. In addition, people with liver disease may have difficulty sleeping due to nausea, diarrhea, or constipation.
Sickle cell disease (blood disorder)
Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder that causes red blood cells to become misshapen and sticky, which damages blood vessels and organs throughout the body. It can cause fatigue and other symptoms such as painful joints and muscle spasms when you exercise too much or take too much pain medication while being treated for sickle cell disease.
Stroke affects nearly 1 million Americans each year, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). In addition to causing physical impairments such as weakness or numbness on one side of the body, stroke victims may experience symptoms such as dizziness and loss of balance, making it difficult for them to exercise or carry out other daily tasks.
If you are experiencing fatigue, it is important to find out if it is due to a medical condition or not. A naturopathic doctor can help you determine the cause of your fatigue and how to treat it. The treatment for fatigue varies depending on its cause, but in most cases, naturopathic doctors use natural treatments and holistic remedies to restore balance to your body’s systems. Contact Integrative Medica to book an appointment and learn more about fatigue.