Everyone can feel tired. A slight loss of energy is felt in the evening after a busy day and at the end of the work week. But once you get a good night's sleep and rest, the feeling of fatigue recedes. This happens if the body works correctly.
But it happens differently: fatigue does not go away at all. Waking up in the morning, a person already feels tired. And the simplest, routine actions completely deprive you of your strength. If this condition is observed for a long time, doctors talk about the development of chronic fatigue. What it is? What signs can be used to diagnose this condition? How to deal with it and how to protect yourself from it? FAN journalist talked about this with clinical psychologist, candidate of psychological sciences Nikolai Chadayev .
What is chronic fatigue syndrome
CFS, asthenia, fatigue syndrome - all these are synonyms corresponding to the disease included in the International Classification of Diseases. Chronic fatigue (asthenia) is not just a temporary loss of strength. This is a disease with characteristic symptoms and not yet fully established causes.
This condition began to be considered a disease recently, literally a couple of decades ago. Medicine did not recognize the disease until an increase in the number of similar cases among mostly young people began to be recorded in different countries. The first documented outbreak of the disease occurred in the American town of Incline Village, where a local doctor identified more than 200 similar cases. In the 90s, official statistics appeared, according to which in the USA there were ten cases per 100 thousand population, and in Australia - 37.
In the early 2000s, scientists began seriously studying the causes and characteristics of the disease. And in 2009, information appeared in the media that chronic fatigue syndrome is caused by a virus. After some time, this statement was refuted, but other assumptions about the nature of the disease appeared.
In 2021, British scientists reiterated the existence of a virus that affects teenagers and causes chronic fatigue in one in every fiftieth people. That same year, scientists at Columbia University presented evidence that the disease was caused by an imbalance of gut bacteria, and that 90 percent of people with CFS also had irritable bowel syndrome. Another reason is called disturbances in cellular metabolism due to a lack of essential nutrients in the diet.
Research into the nature of the disease continues, and official medicine has not yet settled this issue. According to the current position of the medical community, physiological disorders can certainly cause chronic fatigue syndrome. But in this case, it serves rather as one of the symptoms of a more global disorder, for example, anemia or vitamin deficiency. If there is no chronic disorder, and fatigue does not subside, completely different factors are considered significant in its development.
Causes of chronic fatigue
“Residents of large cities are often susceptible to chronic fatigue,” comments clinical psychologist Nikolai Chadayev. “This allows us to assume the negative impact of an unfavorable environmental situation. Increased responsibility, a large amount of stress, conflicts at work and at home, and lack of peace also contribute to the development of the disease. And of course, when a person works a lot and gets little rest, fatigue accumulates, and the body does not have time to restore strength.”
People who are forced to be in a difficult psychological environment are often susceptible to this disease. We are talking about psychological vampirism, when a person daily encounters people who unbalance him, and cannot in any way avoid experiences and nervous tension. Psychological vampires can be a boss at work, a husband or wife, relatives, or unpleasant colleagues. The state of constant stress in which a person lives for a long time provokes the development of chronic fatigue.
But if you can somehow fight psychological vampires, for example, change jobs or try to resolve a conflict with relatives, then in some cases it is impossible to avoid regular nervous tension. We are talking about people who work in leadership positions or whose work involves responsibility for the lives of other people. CFS often develops in resuscitators and ambulance workers, air traffic controllers, and pilots. It manifests itself in managers of large enterprises and companies who are forced to live for years in a state of fatigue and constant stress.
Experts also include young mothers of young children from one to three years of age and those with many children as risk groups. The daily routine, the monotonous performance of maternal duties without the opportunity to take time for oneself, change the environment or get a breath of fresh emotions, drive a woman into a psychological trap. If loved ones do not strive to help a young mother, take on some of her responsibilities, or at least provide moral support, the likelihood of developing chronic fatigue syndrome increases.
Symptoms of chronic fatigue
The main symptom of the disease is a constant feeling of fatigue. It does not go away after periods of rest and continues throughout the day, no matter what the person does. Even a long night's sleep does not bring relief in the morning. It may seem to a person that if he lies in bed a little longer and rests, he will feel better, but this does not happen. And even minor physical activity leads to a feeling of powerlessness, as if a person has worked physically all day and literally falls off his feet from fatigue.
Loss of strength due to chronic fatigue may be the only symptom of the disease, or may be accompanied by other signs. This condition is characterized by:
- drowsiness during the day;
- difficulty falling asleep - despite the fact that a person is tired and feels an urgent need to sleep, he cannot fall asleep quickly either in the evening or during the day when he can lie down;
- headaches that occur suddenly and can persist for a long time;
- bad mood and depression;
- irritability;
- the desire to be left alone by others and the corresponding behavior;
- lack of concentration, decreased attention;
- memory impairment.
Emotional overload and lack of opportunity to fully rest can lead to physiological disorders. A frequent accompaniment of chronic fatigue syndrome is decreased immunity. A person begins to get sick often, he is plagued by viral infections, and the slightest hypothermia turns into a cold.
Immune system disorders can also be seen in blood tests. The patient's level of antibodies to viruses and killer cells decreases, which is why the immune system cannot effectively cope with viral attacks. And the levels of interferon and endorphins, on the contrary, increase, which can be manifested by an intensification of allergic reactions. All this worsens the already difficult condition of the patient, who feels exhausted and sick.
First week
Trust your doctor: tell him about your fatigue. Sometimes periods that are too heavy are enough to cause slight anemia and thus severe fatigue. If necessary, your doctor will refer you for examination and/or prescribe medications for fatigue.
Don't be afraid of anti-fatigue medications. “Fatigue medications don’t do harm, they do good! There is no need to be afraid of taking them,” assures Dr. Rubinstein. Stop doubting. These are the crutches your body needs. Lean on! Anti-fatigue medications (antiasthenics) are psychostimulants that act on the brain, sharpening attention and increasing mental abilities. But still avoid self-medication. It is always better to ask your doctor for advice.
Treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome
As a rule, a person faced with this problem tries not to treat the disease itself, but its symptoms: fights the manifestations of viral infections, tries to boost immunity. But the condition does not improve, since the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome requires an integrated approach.
“First of all, you need to see a therapist,” advises clinical psychologist Nikolai Chadayev. — It is necessary to exclude diseases that can cause similar symptoms. Hemoglobin tests should be taken to rule out anemia. Get tested for viral infections and vitamin deficiency. If these diseases are not confirmed, you should contact a psychotherapist or clinical psychologist.”
At the same time, it is important to understand that the longer a person tries to cope with the condition on his own - without professional help, the more serious the consequences can be. If CFS is caused by a vitamin deficiency, saturating the body with valuable nutrients will help at the early stage of the disease. But if the condition is advanced, accompanied by depression or another disease, longer and more complex treatment will be required.
“Various techniques are used in the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome,” notes Nikolai Chadayev. — Eastern meditative techniques, yoga, breathing exercises, physical therapy, massage are effective. You can recommend acupuncture, swimming - all this will support a person. But if we talk about the essence of the problem, it is important to understand that its cause lies in the area of the psyche, psychoenergetics, and therefore turning to a psychologist or psychotherapist will help more.”
What to take for chronic fatigue
The doctor may prescribe medications to treat the disease. These are antidepressants that increase neuronal activity and improve natural biochemical reactions in the brain. These can be dietary supplements with natural ingredients that normalize the emotional background. Or vitamins for chronic fatigue, which are indicated if the disease is caused by vitamin deficiency.
However, it is worth considering that there are no medications that you just need to take and the disease will go away on its own. The causes of chronic fatigue syndrome usually lie in the psychological sphere, rather than in physiology. Therefore, the body does not always require drug therapy, and competent psychological assistance is much more effective.
Possible consequences of prolonged stress
The need to quickly take measures to recover from the stress experienced is best explained by the possible consequences of such a condition. After prolonged stress, a person is likely to experience various dysfunctions of major organs and systems. The consequences can worsen until the appearance of diseases such as:
- ulcer;
- neurosis;
- atherosclerosis;
- eczema;
- diabetes;
- oncology;
- digestive disorders;
- asthma;
- impotence, etc.
The listed problems are only the most common - the list of diseases that arise after prolonged stress can be continued for a very long time. But what is more significant is not the information describing the list of possible complications, but recommendations on actions that allow you to recover from prolonged stress.
Recommendations for effective recovery of the nervous system First of all, experts strongly recommend visiting a psychotherapist - his support will help you recover much faster and more effectively. Many patients ignore this need and try to restore the nervous system on their own, using all kinds of pills and even psychotropic drugs. You can't do this.
Firstly, uncontrolled treatment can only worsen the situation. Secondly, not every stress is depression, and it is much more advisable to begin the fight against a depressed state by using more gentle methods and less serious medications.
Prevention of chronic fatigue
To prevent the development of the disease, you need to be attentive to yourself, your physical and psychological health. Nikolai Chadayev advises giving up bad habits - alcohol and smoking, as they only increase the risk of disease.
Here are some tips to help avoid illness.
- Protect yourself from negative emotions . Avoid people whose company causes you discomfort or stress, avoid scandals and quarrels. It is necessary to protect yourself from everything that causes negative emotions, even sad films or communication with friends who are used to complaining about a difficult life.
- Bring joy into life . Make time for positive emotions. Communicate with positive people, read good and kind books, spend time with loved ones. Find time for yourself, your hobbies and interests.
- Strictly adhere to the rest regime . Working at night should become taboo for you. At night you need to rest, get enough sleep, give the body the opportunity to regain its strength and the nervous system to return to normal.
- Forget about diets . Dietary restrictions provoke a deficiency of nutrients needed by the body. This may cause the development of CFS. You need to eat regularly and balanced.
- Get outdoors . If during the work week you are forced to stay indoors all day long, plan to go outside on the weekend, especially if the weather is sunny, because the sun is one of the best antidepressants.
Don't forget about rest. By working hard, you are more likely to achieve impressive results in your career and move up the career ladder, but your success will not bring satisfaction if you develop chronic fatigue syndrome.
Rest after a hard day, weekends full of positive emotions and a full vacation away from work worries - all this is necessary for the psycho-emotional balance of every person. And if you feel that it is broken, do not try to deal with the problem yourself. By contacting a specialist - a psychologist or psychotherapist - in time, you will prevent the problem from worsening.
Diet against stress
There are a number of products that help normalize mood and quickly restore the nervous system after stressful situations. These include:
- low-fat dairy products;
- fatty fish;
- nuts;
- buckwheat and oatmeal porridge;
- chocolate (the most effective is the one that contains over 70% cocoa);
- natural honey;
- seaweed;
- meat products;
- fresh vegetables and fruits.
Thus, even the most severe stress can be overcome and forgotten. If you can’t do it yourself, do not hesitate to contact a qualified specialist - he will definitely help
React in a timely manner to unfavorable changes in your condition, follow your doctor’s recommendations and be healthy!
