At one time, you were standing tall. Enjoying the world. Surveying the life that you had made for yourself. And, if we’re being honest, you were probably taking it for granted too. Then just like that, with no forewarning and therefore no chance for you to avert it; fatigue set in. Almost like a winter replacing an endless summer, it crept up on you in the dead of night. Suddenly you were feeling tired and sleepy all the time. You couldn’t do anything except sit down in pain. You’re still in that situation now, but help is at hand. And, you might not have anything serious at all. So, don’t worry until you know what the problem is. I’m going to be discussing with you in this article the causes and treatment for sudden fatigue so that you know exactly what to say when you go to your doctor. You’ll read about all the options, and with any luck, soon you’ll be back to your old self. Let’s proceed into the light.
So whats problem?
It could be something simple like too many Carbohydrates in your diet. Carbs found in Cake, Pasta, and Bread can really slow down your system by blocking the passage of Oxygen. If you have been eating lots of these types of food then cut it out and see if your constant tiredness stops. It could also be something easily treated like a Urinary Tract Infection. You could also have Chronic Fatigue Disorder, Lupus, Mitral Valve Diseases, Anaemia, Sleep Apnea, an Underactive Thyroid, or Diabetes. You could also just be overworked or having a poor quality of sleep. Many people have poor sleep without even noticing. Just because you’re sleeping for eight hours a night it doesn’t mean you’re getting into the third stage of sleep (NREM3) which is the only stage of sleep where you’re actually getting rest. On the more serious side, you could also have an autoimmune disease like HIV or a Tumor
Tests and Treatment:
Blood Test
The first test that needs to be done when assessing the causes and treatment for sudden fatigue, is a blood test. This will rule out HIV as well as checking for blood-based illnesses like Anaemia. It’ll also be able to tell your doctor if your constant tiredness is caused by Diabetes. And, if it is something simple like nutritional issues then the contents of your blood will paint a revealing picture about what you’ve been eating.
CT Scan
After any kind of stroke you’ll get some bleeding on the brain or damage to brain cells. In order for the doctor to rule a Stroke out, he/she needs to have a look inside your brain. The doctor will also be looking for a brain Tumor.
Sedimentation Test
Basically, this test checks of inflammation, if any you have any in the body. If you have Chronic Fatigue Disorder then you’re likely to have inflammation present. You may also have inflammation from an Underactive Thyroid.
Thyroid Function Test
Although to really check if your Thyroid is underactive then you need a Thyroid Test. This is will give a number of readings and your doctor will assess as to whether they’re within the normal range.
Chem 7
This is a very important test you need to have when assessing the causes and treatment for sudden fatigue. It tells you what is in the blood and could rule out Kidney problems because if you have Kidney failure your blood would be full of waste products usually cleared out by the Kidney. Diabetes and Lupus will also be ruled out with this test. With Diabetes you’d have abnormal blood sugar levels and with Lupus, a large number of antibodies would be present in the blood.
Electrocardiogram
Checks the function of the heart to rule out Mitral Valve Diseases. The Mitral Valve regulates blood flow between the upper and lower chambers of the heart, so some amount of irregularity would be noticeable.
Treatment
Dietary Issues
Believe it or not, the vast majority of people who come to their doctor looking for the causes and treatment for sudden fatigue, end up completely relieved. Poor circulation emanating from lack of movement and fatty foods is the leading cause of sudden fatigue. Many people don’t even realize how bad their diet is until they’re shown. Your blood test will reveal a lot and the treatment is simple. You just exercise and eat better.
Anaemia
Some of these conditions are very easy to treat. Anaemia is when your body runs very low on Iron which is vitally important for the creation of energy. For Anaemia you’d just need to take Iron supplements or eat foods that are rich in Iron like Beef or Salmon.
Diabetes
Equally simple to treat. It’s a condition where the body doesn’t produce enough Insulin. Insulin is responsible for keeping your blood sugar levels in check. If you’re not producing enough then your blood sugars will be sky high. So you’ll need to either take a well-known Diabetes medicine like Metformin or you’ll be prescribed Insulin injections. You can live a very normal life with this condition as long as you manage it well.
Chronic Fatigue Disorder
Serious but not life-threatening in 95% of cases. Once diagnosed you’ll be put on a Graded Exercise Program. This is an exercise regimen that gradually increases in severity until you’re back to where you used to be. It should be designed for you by a physiotherapist whom your doctor will refer you to. It’s a carefully crafted program tailored for you and your condition. You’ll also be asked to see a Counsellor where you’ll talk about goals and discuss ideas about how you can pace your daily activity to better help your Chronic Fatigue Disorder. The results will stop fatigue and stop tiredness. You won’t be tired and sleepy all the time anymore.
Underactive Thyroid
This is when your Thyroid isn’t creating enough Thyroxine. Thyroxine is a hormone so the easy treatment here is hormone replacements which can be prescribed to you quickly and you’ll make a full recovery.
Sleep Apnea
Do you snore? If you’re suffering from fatigue and you snore you probably have Sleep Apnea. This is when your breathing stops and restarts while you’re asleep. It can happen for a variety of reasons with the most common ones being an obstruction, or the brain failing to send signals telling you to breathe correctly. Your doctor will check for an obstruction like extra tissue in the back of the throat or abnormal brain activity. The solution is most often to lose weight and to maintain regular sleep patterns. You could also be given supplemental Oxygen and you’ll be told to prop your head up while you sleep.
Lupus
Much like HIV but not as serious. Your body senses a virus and so releases antibodies which then attack the virus killing healthy cells as well. Why this happens is not agreed upon however the treatment is simple. You take Vitamin D and Anti Inflammatory drugs. You won’t get rid of your Lupus, but you will relieve many of the side-effects.
Mitral Valve Diseases
Since these diseases are the result of below-par blood flow regulation between upper and lower chambers of the heart, you’ll need surgery for this one. The surgery will either replace or repair the valve and you can live a normal life once again.
Final Thoughts
If you want to deal with the causes and treatment for sudden fatigue then you’ve come to the right place. This is a lot to take in, you’ll probably need to read over this article again. Then go to your doctor and tell him/her that you’re tired and sleepy all the time, listing your full symptoms leaving nothing out. Tell him/her about some of the tests you’ve been made aware of here and they’ll recommend the most pertinent ones based on what you’ve discussed. Very few of these diseases are life-threatening in nature. Some are very simply cured. Others you’ll have to learn how to manage. But one thing is clear. You can take action to return to your normal self. You don’t have to live this way. Things can be better. Often to make them better, you just need the right information. You can do it!!!!! Thank you for reading.