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Friday, June 22, 2012

Why Am I Always Tired?: Excessive Tiredness Symptoms and Causes


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Source: Ambro
nary.reference.com/(Retrieved 1/29/12)
Are you:
· Feeling like you want to crawl back into bed by lunchtime?
· Tired throughout the day even when you sleep 6-8 hours regularly?
· Concerned about how excessively tired you feel?
In a world of constant activity and pressure, many people report feeling excessively tired. If you are plagued with a consistent feeling of fatigue, knowing symptoms, causes, solutions and when to seek help is of the upmost importance.
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10 Symptoms of Excessive Tiredness

1. Trouble getting up in the morning: Do you find yourself pressing snooze 3 or more times daily?
2. Too tired for daily tasks such as working, driving or shopping: Are you finding that you are barely making it through your day because of drowsiness?
3. Depending on caffeine: Are you drinking more than 2 cups of coffee, tea, or cola to cope your tiredness?
4. General feeling of being “run-down”: Are you dragging? Do you constantly think, “I need a vacation?”
5. Irritability: Is your tiredness causing you to feel overly sensitive? Easily frazzled?
6. Change in appetite: Do you find yourself eating less? More?
7. Muscular weakness: Are you feeling physically weak?
8. Difficulty concentrating: Having trouble staying on task?
9. Cold-like symptoms: Is your tiredness accompanied by sneezing, coughing or runny nose?
10. Short-term memory loss: Are you forgetting more?
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10 Common Causes for Fatigue

1. Lack of sleep: There are times when our sleep is simply set on the back burner for more immediate tasks. Projects, major life events and other distractions can cause us all to temporarily lose sleep.
2. Jet lag: Anyone that has traveled knows that jet lag can be exhausting. Jet lag involves a total shift in sleep. The longer the travel time, time change adjustment, and length of trip, the more fatigue will be experienced.
3. Sleeping trouble, such as insomnia: Excessive tiredness can be a byproduct of sleeping disorders such as insomnia.
4. Stress: If you have ever experienced stress, you know that it is mentally and physically draining. Stress causes one to feel tried and lethargic in waking hours even if he or she is sleeping at night.
5. Heavy workload: Work is a reality of most of our lives. Some jobs require more work than others. Even jobs that can be fairly uneventful have times where more work is needed. These times can cause one to feel more tired than usual.
6. Depression/Anxiety: Tiredness can be a result of one’s mental health. Depression and anxiety can cause one to miss sleep at night or too feel overly tired with or without consistent sleep.
7. Anemia: Anemia is a decrease in red blood cells. Red blood cells are what help circulate oxygen through the body. Tiredness is a major symptom of anemia.
8. Recovering from illness: It is common for people to feel tired when recovering from an injury or illness because their bodies are utilizing large amounts of energy to heal. The result is a drowsy, tired feeling though it means someone is actually healing.
9. Hypothyroidism: Hypothyroidism is a disease where the thyroid gland does not produce enough hormones. Tiredness is one of several symptoms to this treatable, yet potentially serious, disease.
10. Alcohol/drug withdrawal: When someone is detoxing from large amounts of alcohol or drugs, it is common to experience fatigue.
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Seeking Solutions

1. Create a sleep routine: Developing a sleep routine can help decrease and even eliminate excessive tiredness. To create a sleep routine:
· Choose a desired “bedtime”
· Move towards going to sleep at that time one hour a week until you are in bed at the time you desire
· Wake up at the same time each day as you move towards your desired “bedtime”
· To help you fall asleep, make your room quiet and dark
· Stay in bed even if you have trouble falling asleep
2. Take naps: Take a 10-20 minute nap when needed.
Even brisk walking can increase energy.
Even brisk walking can increase energy.
Source: photostock
Oysters are a natural source of B12.
Oysters are a natural source of B12.
Source: Tina Phillips
Vegetables like this Asian Kale are a nutrient rich, source of B-12. No wonder it is considered a super food by some!
Vegetables like this Asian Kale are a nutrient rich, source of B-12. No wonder it is considered a super food by some!
Source: Kittikun Atsawintarangkul
Water helps aid every system in the human body. Have you hydrated today?
Water helps aid every system in the human body. Have you hydrated today?
Meditation offers many health benefits including decreasing stress.
Meditation offers many health benefits including decreasing stress.
Source: photostock
3. Exercise: Exercise increases energy levels by causing oxygen to circulate through the body. Even 30 minutes of walking briskly can help boost your energy. Exercise is also credited with helping the body settle into a deeper, more restful sleep at night.
4. Eat green leafy vegetables: Green leafy vegetables are among the most nutrient rich foods. They contain multiple vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. They will not only give you an energy boost, but may also increase positive mood.
5. Vitamin B12: B12 is a vitamin that can be found in several different foods including shellfish. This vitamin is known for giving energy. In fact, B12 deficiency is another common cause of tiredness. Consult a doctor before taking B12 supplements to ensure it is best for your case of tiredness.
6. Vitamin C: Though there are some questions about whether vitamin C actually increases energy, many doctors and herbalist recommend taking vitamin C supplements. Fruits, such as oranges, provide a natural, delicious source for this immune boosting vitamin.
7. Folic Acid: Folic-acid, also known as B-9, increase energy on the cellular level. You can naturally acquire more folic acid by eating foods such as leafy green vegetables, dry beans, liver and eggs. Synthetic B-9 can be found in cereals, breads, rice, four and pasta.
8. Drink plenty of water: Though water has no nutritional value, hydration does affect body functions. From digestion to the carrying of electrolytes, water keeps your body running smoothly.
9. Meditate: Meditation is a wonderful way of quieting the mind. Quieting the mind can help with several symptoms of fatigue including concentration and stress.
10. Do something fun!: Doing something fun for yourself can be a great stress reliever. It can also help break up the monotony of every day routines.
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When to Seek Professional Help

Source: Ambro

Professional Help

If other symptoms such as unusual weight gain, brittle hair, excessive crying, and/or insomnia occur, it is time to seek professional help. Conditions such as hypothyroidism and depression include tiredness along with other symptoms. These are serious conditions that require medical care.
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References

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