HEATH AND BEAUTY.

A woman multi-tasking. If you are juggling career, family and other commitments and getting only five or six hours of sleep, you are bound to get fatigued

By Tambaki Edmond.

FATIGUED in the morning? Too tired to function at work, exercise or have sex? In most cases, Experts say there is a reason for the fatigue. It could be poor time management, caffeine, depression or heart disease.

So before you blame your age for fatigue, learn the root cause of your tiredness and what experts recommend to resolve thte problem.

Time-stacking
If you are juggling family, career and other commitments and only getting five or six hours of sleep, it will catch up with you.

But what if you sleep for eight hours, yet you feel tired? Dr. Dickens Akena, a psychiatrist at Makerere University Medical School recommends a medical check-up.

“If you feel fatigued for over a week and yet you are getting plenty of sleep and are not sick, see a doctor. It could be a sign of a serious illness,” says Akena.

Caffeine overload
Many of us grab coffee to get energy. However, caffeine is a stimulant and if too much is taken, it may result in fatigue, says Dr. Fred Kigozi, a psychiatrist.
Reduce your caffeine intake. This means cutting out coffee, chocolate, tea, soda and some drugs that contain caffeine.

Anaemia
If you are a woman in your reproductive years and experience heavy menstrual cycles, have fibroids, or have recently given birth, the blood loss may cause anaemia, a leading cause of fatigue.

Dr. Pius Okong, a gynaecologist, says fatigue arises when the bleeding leads to a deficiency of haemoglobin, the iron-rich protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to other parts of the body.

“When your organs do not get enough oxygen, you get fatigue.” Other causes of anaemia include internal bleeding, lack of folic acid and illnesses like kidney disease.

Treatment consists of iron supplements and taking iron-rich foods, such as spinach. “With treatment for anaemia, your fatigue should go in 30 days,” says Okong.

Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)
Although to many women, the symptoms of a UTI are urgency to go to the bathroom, at times fatigue is the only clue.

A UTI is caused by bacteria in the urinary tract, often the result of poor hygiene (wiping back to front). Sexual intercourse also increases the risk because it can push bacteria from the vagina into the urethra.

Treatment involves anti-biotic drugs. If symptoms return, get tested again. For women who get chronic UTI, Dr Okong advises them to seek preventive care.

Fibromyalgia
Many of fibromyalgia (chronic pain in muscles and soft tissues surrounding the joints) patients complain that they always feel tired.

According to Akena, their sleep may be interrupted by frequent awakening. He encourages fibromyalgia patients to swim to ease fatigue. “Swimming increases the chances of restful sleep.”

Sleep apnea
This is a sleep disorder that causes you to momentarily stop breathing many times during the night. Each time you stop breathing, you awaken just long enough to disrupt your sleep.

The condition is caused by an airway obstruction and often occurs in people who are overweight. Snoring is usually a sign of apnea, says Prof. Andrew Otim, a diabetologist. Sometimes lifestyle changes may be recommended.

Medical treatment may include devices that keep airway passages open while you sleep. In extreme cases, surgery may be necessary for proper airway flow. If untreated, experts says, apnea can increase one’s risk of heart disease.

Low levels of thyroxin
If you are sluggish, the problem may be slow metabolism. This is caused when the thyroid, a small gland at the base of your neck, does not produce enough thyroxin to control metabolism, the rate at which the body uses energy.

The most common cause is Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, an immunity disorder. Otim says, Hashimoto’s stops the gland from making enough thyroxin resulting in slow metabolism.

Blood tests known as T3 and T4 will detect thyroxin. If it is low, you get drugs to bring you up to speed.

Food allergies
Food is usually meant to give you energy, but sometimes it does the opposite. Eat the offending food for long and you could find yourself exhausted.

Even mild food allergies can leave you feeling sleepy, says Dr. Samuel Kasule of AAR.

“Evidence also suggests that fatigue may be a sign of food intolerance.”
If you suspect that food may be behind all that yawning, start eliminating foods that cause you to feel sleepy 10 to 30 minutes after taking them. You can get a food allergy test from a doctor.

Depression
According to Kigozi, depression affects twice as many women as men and often runs in families, starting between the ages of 15 and 30.

While feeling low occasionally is normal, major depression needs medical treatment.

Although the specific causes of depression are unclear, experts say, it is highly treatable with anti-depressant medications, psychotherapy, electroconvulsive therapy or a combination of therapies.

Heart disease
When overwhelming fatigue sets in after ordinary tasks like cleaning the house, your heart may be sending a signal that it needs medical attention, says Dr. Michael Oketcho, a cardiologist at Mulago Hospital.

But this does not call for panic every time you yawn. “Most of the time, fatigue is not the first sign of heart disease,” says Oketcho.

Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in Uganda. If fatigue, following activity, is significant and no other reason comes to mind, he says, go for a medical check-up.

If your fatigue is related to your heart, treatment can correct the problem and restore your energy.