All about fatigue Fatigue is so much more than feeling a bit tired. Heres what you can do to help Words: Dr Sarah Jarvis We all know what its like to be tired; remember coping with a young baby, working long hours to meet a deadline, or burning the candle at both ends during the party season? But that sort of tiredness is very different to fatigue felt by people with long-term health conditions. For a start, you can usually recover quickly from normal tiredness with a good nights sleep or two. With conditions such as ME (once known as chronic fatigue syndrome), sleep doesnt refresh you at all. From a medical perspective, fatigue involves feeling weak and a chronic (longterm) lack of energy. People often describe feeling as if theyre wading through treacle when they try to do anything. Limbs feel heavy, head feels full of cotton wool and the smallest exertion feels like climbing a mountain. Being in pain is physically and emotionally exhausting, so getting pain under control can make a big difference. However, its also important to remember that tiredness can be a side-effect of many medicines, particularly strong painkillers. Anaemia is common in chronic disease, and fatigue is the single-most common symptom of it. Your doctor can check for treatable causes of anaemia, such as iron deficiency, as well as other medical conditions (diabetes, underactive thyroid) that can cause fatigue. Know your limits... better to leave a party early than spend the next three days in bed Health What can I do? There are many practical steps you can take to reduce, or cope with, fatigue. The first is to speak to your GP or pharmacist if youre taking regular medication. Changing the timing of steroid tablets may prevent them interfering with sleep; long-acting pain relief taken at night can let you sleep through the worst of the drowsiness; or a different type of medication may offer the same relief without the same side-effects. Its natural to want to do more on days when you have more energy. But beware this often leads to rebound exhaustion, so learn to pace yourself. Do know your limits and be firm about sticking to them; better to leave a party early than spend the next three days in bed. The 3 Ps planning, prioritising and pacing yourself are key. Make time for relaxation mindfulness, meditation, yoga, massage, aromatherapy or just a long bath or a good book. Important, too, is a healthy, balanced diet highly processed food can lead to rapid spikes and drops in blood sugar, which sap your energy. For many people, regular exercise can actually improve fatigue, but do speak to your doctor first, as building up too quickly can have the opposite effect. 13 Inspire Spring 23 pp13 All about fatigue.indd 13 15/02/2023 09:21