By Brenda Kearns
Woman’s World, December 18, 1997
We all have days when we’re less than energized, and that dragged-out feeling can be intense when holiday pressures mount or a cold hits. But if you’ve been exhausted a lot lately, it may be time to see your doctor.
Statistics show undiagnosed medical conditions cause six million Americans to struggle with fatigue. These problems are more common than you think – but they’re also curable. Read on to see if you might have one – and find sure fire ways to feel better fast.
What the Problem Might Be
A Leaky Heart Valve
For 18 percent of American women, headaches and exhaustion are signs of a disorder called mitral valve prolapse syndrome (MVPS). Its classic symptoms are a leaky heart valve and a heart murmur your doctor can easily detect, says Birmingham, Alabama, cardiologist Phillip Watkins, M.D.
What it Feels Like:
Fatigue is the top symptom, followed by palpitations, awareness of your own heartbeat, chest pain, dizziness, headaches and a racing heart during exercise.
What You Can Do About It:
Doctors may prescribe medication to correct stubborn cases, but most sufferers can erase symptoms by:
Breaking a sweat. When patients in one study exercised for just half an hour three times a week they felt less fatigue, dizziness, and chest pain after 12 weeks.
Keeping water nearby. Experts say one complication of MVPs is that the brain doesn’t realize your water level is low, so you could become dehydrated without feeling thirsty. "Drinking water helps increase blood volume, and that solves many fatigue problems," says Dr. Watkins. In cool weather, doctors recommend eight 8-oz. Glasses of water daily, but when it warms up, MVPs sufferers need an ounce of water for every degree of outdoor temperature, he says.
What the Problem Might Be
Chronic Fatigue
"Up to ten percent of the population suffers from chronic fatigue," says Don L. Goldenberg, M.D., and for two million of them, it’s bad enough to earn a diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Researchers are still determining what cause it, but they think viral infections are partly to blame. Studies show 67 percent of patients get their first symptoms after either the flu or mononucleosis.
What it Feels Like
Exhaustion for six months or more is the major sign. Other symptoms: sore throat, swollen glands, muscle and joint pain, headaches, trouble concentrating and poor sleep.
What You Can Do About It
CFS may disappear on its own in two to five years. Doctors can prescribe antidepressants to ease symptoms, but to speed recovery, experts recommend:
Controlling blood pressure. Doctors report that when CFS patients stand up, their blood pressure plummets. Prescription drugs can cure this – and the fatigue that it triggers.
Taking energy-boosting supplements. Researchers report that daily doses of L-carnitine, an amino acid, gave sufferers a 66 percent reduction in symptoms. They’ve also found that after six weeks of magnesium injections, 80 percent of subjects felt more energetic. The recommended doses: 400 mg. To 1,000 mg. Of magnesium and 1,000 mg. Of L-carnitine daily.
What the Problem Might Be
Sugar Sensitivity
If a muffin at breakfast leaves you groggy hours later, you may be suffering from reactive hypoglycemia. This sugar sensitivity triggers high blood sugar after eating sweet foods, then a rush of insulin tat makes blood sugar plummet to exhausting lows.
"Millions of people spend their lives with this condition and they’re never diagnosed," says California preventive medicine specialist Elson M. Haas, M.D.
What It Feels Like
Along with after-meal exhaustion, you may have anxiety, shaky hands, perspiration, headaches, and dizziness. Use a home glucose test (available in all pharmacies) to check your blood sugar when you’re having symptoms.
What You Can Do About It
Experts recommend steering clear of high-sugar foods. Keeping a food diary and recording how you feel after eating can help identify your triggers. Also important:
Losing weight a little at a time. Researchers warn that crash diets increase your risk of reactive hypoglycemia. To avoid blood sugar disasters, doctors recommend a safe one-to two-pound weight loss per week.
Boosting chromium intake. Experts say this mineral keeps blood sugar and energy even by helping move sugar into cells at a steady pace. One study revealed that 200 mcg. Of chromium daily cured hypoglycemia for 62 percent of patients.
Experts recommend 100 mcg. To 200 mcg. Of chromium daily; which you can get from a supplement.
What the Problem Might Be
A Shortage of Energy Hormones
Doctors report that women have a one-in-ten chance of developing subclinical hypothyroidism, a disorder caused by a deficiency of energy-boosting hormones.
What It Feels Like
A worn-out feeling is the main symptom, says Atlanta endocrinologist Nelson Watts, M.D., but also look for weight gain, constipation, muscle cramps, feeling cold when others don’t and hair that breaks easily and doesn’t hold a perm.
What You Can Do About It
At least half the time, thyroid hormones cure this condition. Also recommended:
Limiting salt. Researchers report that high doses of iodine raise your risk of thyroid trouble. People with the most iodine in their diets – from iodized salt, seafood and processed foods – were five times more likely to have subclinical hypothyroidism. Cutting back on iodized table salt could help.
Checking your progress. One month after starting thyroid supplements, measure you underarm temperature with a basal thermometer, suggests Dr. Hass. "Do this five mornings in a row before getting out of bed, avoiding days when you’re menstruating or ovulating," he says
Normal underarm temperature is 97.6 degrees Fahrenheit. "If you’re below 97.2 degrees Fahrenheit, your thyroid levels are still too low," he says, and you should talk to your doctor.
What the Problem Might Be
A Muscle Disorder
Doctors say fibromyalgia, a disorder that stiffens muscles, saps stamina and may be aggravated by stress.
What It Feels Like
"Most people with fibromyalgia feel tired, and they all have sore muscles," says Dr. Goldenberg. Another symptom is the presence of tender spots on the neck, shoulders, chest, hips, knees, and elbows.
What You Can DO About It
"Exercise and pain relievers help," says Dr. Goldenberg. You can also get relief by:
Nourishing sore muscles. When doctors 1,200 mg. Of malic acid and 300 mg. Of magnesium daily, they all reported an increase in energy within eight weeks. You can find these supplements in health food stores.
Giving nerves a vitamin boost. Researchers report that almost all fibromyalgia patients are deficient in vitamin B12. Doctors recommend taking 300 mg. daily, from a supplement for foods such as meat and eggs.
|
