Even before the week has just begun, you are already tired enough, even if you did not work over the weekend . Still, most of the time, you look forward to Friday so you can rest. Can you relate to these situations? It’s possible that you suffer from chronic fatigue.

That is, it’s normal to feel tired sometimes, especially when the day or week is more hectic. Though, if this becomes a regular occurrence, even in rest or leisure time, attention should be drawn to it. After all, it affects the quality of life and well-being.

For this reason, we have prepared this post to explain when fatigue becomes chronic. Are you interested in this topic? Keep reading and find out more!

What is tiredness?

Fatigue is a decrease in one’s energy levels to perform an activity. Thus, someone who feels tired has difficulty concentrating , falls asleep, and manifests other signs of indisposition. It is important to note that fatigue can be either physical-such as after exercising-and mental-that is, being under immense stress.

Regardless of the type of fatigue, it is necessary to take breaks to recover energy and continue with the activities mentioned. Many people see rest as a gift for those who have been productive enough. However, you need to rest regardless of your performance. Otherwise, your body will not have the energy to continue.

What is the difference between common fatigue and chronic fatigue?

You learned the definition of fatigue. From this, it is easier to understand why it can strike anybody irrespective of age . However, there is a difference between common fatigue and chronic fatigue. Check it out below!

Common fatigue

Common fatigue occurs after performing a very intense activity, such as the aforementioned physical exercise. That is, if you are not used to doing this regularly or if you have increased the intensity of your workouts, your body feels the effects of this new activity and becomes tired.

Furthermore, fatigue can also occur when performing activities that do not require much physical movement or even leaving the house. This is the case for those who work from home on the computer. In other words, if the demands at a specific moment have been more intense, the performance and concentration required to deal with this generate fatigue.

Chronic fatigue

Unlike common fatigue, with chronic fatigue, the individual does not necessarily need to undergo intense activities to feel exhausted. In fact, this feeling can arise even after resting.

For example, if you slept, but the fatigue persists? This is a strong sign that the problem has become chronic. Another sign that indicates permanent fatigue, this time associated with mental exhaustion , is not having the energy or patience to interact with people.

After all, interaction requires individuals to deal with more information. However, with chronic mental fatigue, people suffer from information overload. Therefore, having to interact, even with loved ones and people in their lives, can be very tiring.

When can chronic fatigue become a problem?

Now you know the difference between chronic fatigue and common fatigue. With that in mind, it is also important to understand when chronic fatigue can become a problem. When you go through this type of situation, your personal and professional life tend to be impacted.

After all, this condition usually causes discomfort and indisposition. In addition, physical health is also affected, which tends to be signaled by weight loss, intestinal changes, the appearance of nodules in the body, etc.

Especially if symptoms and sensations such as those mentioned arise, it is important to seek medical attention. Also, evaluate whether this situation lasts for more than 2 weeks, even when trying to rest. If the answer is yes, other discomforts tend to arise and further affect physical and mental balance .

How do I know if I have problems with chronic fatigue?

After reading the last few topics, it’s possible that the idea of ​​suffering from chronic fatigue has affected you, right? In any case, it’s essential to find out if this problem is part of your routine in order to be able to combat it properly.

In this sense, a visit to the doctor helps to obtain a correct diagnosis , as he or she usually requests some tests and performs clinical analyses to help reach an answer. Among the questions about your routine, he or she may include:

• Have you had any weight changes?
• Do you feel like you can’t rest, even when you sleep?
• Do you feel irritable and anxious?
• Does the feeling of tiredness not go away?
• Do you have constant pain?
• Sleep well?
• Do you have any other symptoms?
• Do you drink alcohol, smoke or use any other drugs? How often?

What are the causes of chronic fatigue?

You now understand how you can detect chronic fatigue. In addition, it is also essential to understand the main causes behind this problem. So, follow along below:

• anemia : this disease is mainly related to iron deficiency (but not exclusively), an essential nutrient for transporting oxygen to the body, which causes fatigue and other symptoms;
• sleep apnea : sleep apnea affects breathing while an individual sleeps, which makes it difficult to rest and tends to lead to sleepless nights ;
• hypothyroidism : consists of a dysfunction in the thyroid, responsible for regulating metabolism and energy storage, which causes chronic fatigue and other problems;
• celiac disease : when it occurs, the immune system becomes very sensitive to gluten, which causes, among other symptoms, chronic fatigue;
• diabetes : diabetes is characterized by dysregulation of blood sugar levels, associated with symptoms such as fatigue;
• There are also other diseases that may be associated, so always consult a medical professional for monitoring.

As seen in this article, there are several causes that can be associated with the onset of chronic fatigue. Therefore, it is important to understand whether you suffer from this or just experience common fatigue. In any case, exercise regularly, have hobbies, cultivate your social relationships and know how to take breaks to avoid this problem.