Why Chronic Fatigue Never Leaves You, 3 Things You Need to Know

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a condition characterized by feeling tired all the time. This will certainly reduce the quality of life of the sufferer, because complaints of constant fatigue will make CFS sufferers feel powerless to work or do other activities.

In contrast to fatigue due to strenuous physical activity or being unfit, chronic fatigue syndrome can even cause fatigue that is severe enough to make it difficult for the sufferer to get out of bed (malaise). This fatigue can also still appear when you wake up, even though you have had enough sleep. Not only in adults, this condition can also occur in children.

How to Know You Get Chronic  Fatigue

According to Launching the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the following are symptoms of chronic  fatigue syndrome.

1. Decreased ability to do routine activities

When suffering from chronic fatigue, the intensity of activity decreases drastically due to constantly feeling tired.

Decrease in activity and productivity can be felt during the last 6 months.

2. Extreme fatigue

Fatigue due to ME is different from fatigue in general, here are the characteristics. Tired too quickly even if you only do light activities. Fatigue does not go away with just sleep or rest and interferes with activities that were previously easy to do.

3. Harder to restore energy

After doing activities, sufferers of chronic fatigue syndrome take longer to recover and are ready to return to their activities. Even after resting, fatigue does not go away although the activities carried out are actually not too heavy. For example, short trips, such as picking up your child from school, may require you to take a complete break and then be unable to do your homework.

4. Poor sleep quality

Patients with chronic fatigue syndrome easily run out of energy, even feeling unrefreshed after waking up even though they have slept for a long time. In addition, patients may have difficulty sleeping or even sleep constantly.

5. Low concentration

Chronic  fatigue syndrome causes short-term thinking and concentration difficulties, forgetfulness, and neglect of details. The disorder makes it difficult for sufferers to think clearly.

6. Losing sense of stability

In people with chronic fatigue, changing positions from supine to sitting or from sitting to standing triggers dizziness. Not only that, the body also feels unbalanced, weak, and even faints afterward. Vision also looks blurry or spots appear.

What Cause Chronic Fatigue Syndrom?

After reading the symptoms, sometimes you will think why chronic fatigue happens to you.

The cause of this condition is still not fully known. However, there are several factors that can trigger chronic fatigue syndrome.

1. Viral infection

Some researchers believe that complications from viral infections are a contributing factor.An abnormal immune system response to infection or stress may play a role in this syndrome. Some viruses that have the potential to cause chronic fatigue syndrome are Epstein-Barr virus, Ross virus, and Coxiella burnetii virus. According to the CDC, 1 in 10 people who contract the virus experience symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome.

2. Immune disorders

Abnormalities of the immune system in response to infection or stress have the potential to cause myalgic encephalomyelitis. What’s more, this syndrome has characteristics similar to autoimmune diseases, such as increasing inflammation in the body. Listed below are some of the immune issues that can trigger chronic fatigue.

• Cytokine production is too high for a long time

• Cytokines are special proteins that function to fight infection.

• Increased production of cytokines causes changes in the way the body responds to exposure to harmful substances. This triggers chronic fatigue.

• Natural killer (NK) cells are not functioning properly

• NK cells are present in the immune system which also help fight infection. The worse the function of NK cells, the more severe the condition of chronic fatigue.

• Disorders of T. cells

• T cells help suppress the body’s reaction to fighting infection. Overactive or weak T cells can increase the risk of chronic fatigue. However, not all people with chronic fatigue syndrome have problems with T cells.

3. Stress

Psychological stress or physical trauma trigger hormonal imbalances in the body. This condition makes immune function problematic. As a result, the body tends to be prone to inflammation, making it susceptible to chronic fatigue syndrome. People with chronic fatigue usually experience physical or mental stress before they get sick.

How to Restore Your Health from Chronic Fatigue

Chronic fatigue will make a person to experience limitations in activities including exercising. Therefore, it is necessary to eat foods that can help restore the availability of energy and repair body damage with the number of calories in accordance with the level of activity. Here are some tips for dealing with chronic fatigue by improving consumption patterns:

1. Balanced nutrition and B vitamins

One of the causes of chronic fatigue is not getting enough B vitamins from the daily diet. B vitamins are found in various types of food and in varying levels, which is why a balanced nutritional diet with a variety of foods helps meet the needs of B vitamins.

Not all B vitamins are the same, here are some types of B vitamins that are prioritized for dealing with chronic fatigue:

Vitamin B6: helps overcome fatigue by helping to strengthen immunity because chronic fatigue can be caused by infections from within the body. Vitamin B6 is found in green vegetables such as spinach, bananas, sweet potatoes, beef, tuna and salmon.

Vitamin B12: needed to produce methyl components for immune processes, metabolism, excretion of toxins to nerve function. Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause these processes to be disrupted and cause various degenerative diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes that can trigger chronic fatigue. Vitamin B12 can be obtained from oily fish foods, animal liver, eggs, and dairy products.

2. Sufficient vitamin D needs

Individuals who experience chronic fatigue tend to have low serum vitamin D levels. Weakness and muscle fatigue are signs when the body begins to lack vitamin D and the worse effect is that the body cannot absorb minerals to maintain healthy bones. Vitamin D can be easily found in various foods that contain fat such as eggs and oily fish and dairy products. The body can also produce vitamin D when sunlight hits the skin’s surface.

3. Consumption of magnesium and potassium

Both magnesium and potassium can relieve various symptoms of chronic fatigue, especially muscle disorders.

Magnesium itself is useful in increasing the body’s energy levels, balancing mood and reducing pain. Magnesium is also needed to regulate blood sugar levels and blood pressure. Food sources rich in magnesium include spinach, pumpkin, almonds, avocado, and bananas. While potassium serves to regulate the balance of electrolytes in the body.

Muscle cramps are a major sign of potassium deficiency. Meet the needs of potassium by consuming spinach, coconut water, bananas, apricots, and mushrooms.

4. Reducing your caffeine intake

Caffeine seems like a great way to improve your energy, but it can give you a false sense of energy and lead you to overestimating your condition. A little doseof caffeine may be fine for some people. Just be careful to not overexert yourself and make sure your intake doesn’t impact your sleep.

5. Limit your sugar intake

Not just caffeine, sugar can also increase your energy temporarily, but the crash afterward can multiply your level of tiredness. Instead of reaching for foods with refined sugar, naturally sweet foods with a bit of protein to help even out your blood sugar and energy levels.

6. Taking therapies to boost your immune system

As you have read above, immune system plays a huge role in chronic fatigue syndrome. Therefore, boosting your immune system is one of the best way to speed up your recovery, EBOO, or extracorporeal ozone therapy gives you a chance to supply your body with rich oxygens, which helps your body to deliver the nutritions that you take efficiently. With enough oxygens, blood will able to transport the nutritions faster without pressuring your heart.