The Trumpet Medical Advisor

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patPatricia Naeder, RN, BS.

pat@billbaur.com/public

    

May, 2011 Edition ew3


~ ~ ~ ~ WHY AM I SO TIRED? ~ ~ ~ ~

    

1-    Depression.  Depression immobilizes you. You may be unaware that you are depressed at first. It is treatable with medications and talk therapy. It has multiple causes but two basic causes are:

a.     Brain chemicals that are out of balance. Called endogenous.

b.     Life situations such as the constant thwarting of your life dreams and daily goals either by a key person or persons in your life, or by circumstances. Called exogenous, meaning the cause comes from outside yourself.

The treatment for depression is usually a combination of taking antidepressant medications such as the Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI) or other anti-depressants, combined with talk sessions with a Licensed Psychologist.

This is very successful because the causes are addressed and can be eliminated or handled by using problem solving and learning new skill sets to deal with the reality of what is happening to you.

 

2-    Diabetes. Extra sugar floating in your bloodstream instead of being properly metabolized by your pancreas and cells for energy can make you tired. See your Doctor for a simple blood test and exam and history. Walking 30 minutes 5 days a week and eating a low glycemic diet will help. Learn the Glycemic ORAC scale and use it.

 

3-    Sleep Apnea. Usually happens to obese people because there is too much fat around the windpipe, trachea area which obstructs the airway dozens of times a night You will wake up tired, with no energy and will have to take naps all day.

 

Equally as important is that over time brain cells can be damaged. Memory, concentration and thinking will degrade. Get tested and treated by your Doctor or at a sleep center. A good start would be to lose weight and walk 15 minutes a day. Eat a low sugar low fat diet. Eat more vegetables.

 

4-    Insomnia. Not enough sleep or intermittent sleep can ruin your memory, concentration, mood, and brain function. Make sleep a priority.

 

Insomnia has many causes. See your Doctor for the Dx. I highly recommend spending a night in a Sleep Study Center. It is like staying in a lovely Hotel for the night with little sensors on your scalp.

 

Insomnia can be from a low a level of a natural chemical called melatonin, or from other simply corrected chemical imbalances in the brain or from your brain circuitry. Don’t guess. Go to the Sleep Study Center that every Hospital has.

 

Your Doctor may do a simple bio-rhythm test to see how your brain functions in its cycles. Insomnia must be corrected with whatever treatment or meds that your doctor prescribes. Long term insomnia does damage.

*Do not drink yourself to sleep. Alcohol itself causes insomnia.

 

5-    Hypothyroidism or low activity thyroid. Your thyroid is the engine that moves your metabolism. Have it checked with a simple blood test by your Physician. You may need to take a synthetic hormone or bio-identical hormone like thyroxin in pill form, or other simple treatments to correct this condition. There are cells that can attack the thyroid glands and make your thyroid smaller or less functioning. Tests for that are easy and effective.

 

6-    Urinary Tract Infections can make you tired. Urinary tract infections affect the entire body. Antibiotics are one of the main treatments. Important to treat early to prevent kidney involvement.

 

7-    Alcoholism is a cause of insomnia. Initially alcohol is a relaxant because it decreases oxygen level and you feel light headed and ‘drunk’ but then it backfires and will keep you up at night or cause the sudden awakenings of insomnia.

 

People who drink excessively, daily, and often drink to go to sleep will have serious issues eventually. This is dangerous because alcohol slowly destroys the brain, liver, pancreas, nerve branches and families. It is debilitating.

 

The good news is that, at most stages, except the end stages of liver failure and pancreas issues, it is treatable, but Alcoholism must be avoided at all costs.

 

See my other in-depth article on the little known mechanisms involved with this insidious killer………Alcoholism. It doesn’t have to be this way.

 

8-    Heart Disease. You may not realize that your heart is under strain or not functioning efficiently. See your physician for a basic electrocardiogram and exam. There are many good treatments that will make a big difference.

 

9-    Fibromyalgia. This can cause chronic fatigue syndrome. Doctors will look for autoimmune, viral and other microbiological evidence. Your Physician will do a complete blood test and physical and history and will improve this condition. There are many meds, natural supplements and food changes that will help greatly.

 

10- Food Allergies. You may or may not be aware that certain foods make you feel tired. You may have a mild allergy to them. You may not get hives or sneezing or congestion but you get tired. See your Physician. Test certain foods that give you these symptoms and avoid them. This is one of the most overlooked causes of tiredness because people do not believe that allergies can make you tired.

 

It is uncomfortable for some people to accept that they have certain conditions, so they defy them by actually eating the offending allergen food. Obviously this is not helpful and may be harmful. Once the person decides to understand that all body chemistries are different, they can begin to respect the foods that are compatible or incompatible with their body.

 

11- Anemia. Blood carries oxygen. If you do not have enough red blood cells you will not get enough oxygen throughout your body, brain, muscles etc. and you will be exhausted or sluggish all the time. If it is iron deficiency anemia your Doctor may prescribe Ferrous Gluconate, but there are many types of anemia and they are easily treated. B Vitamins may be prescribed or other treatments once the Dx is made. Have a blood test and a talk with your Doctor about why your RBCs are low.

 

12- Under eating. This is a big cause of fatigue. If you can fall asleep at the drop of a hat during the day, one of the major reasons is under-eating.

 

You must feed your body with the fuel it needs to function. Billions of cells are waiting for the fuel they need to function. Filling up on water is not eating. Eat a balanced diet of normal calorie amount. The results of under-eating are devastating. Organs, especially the kidneys, will fail.

 

Hormones will be nonexistent causing infertility. Hair will thin. Memory will be poor and intermittent. Skin will wrinkle. Aging will triple because you’re not taking in the antioxidants needed to scavenger up the free radicals that are ravaging your body. Heart and brain will become smaller. Vision will fail. Teeth will fall out. It is devastating.

 

You cannot drive a car without gasoline and you cannot drive a healthy body without a balanced diet. It does not have to be a lot of calories but balanced healthy eating is the best fuel for the body. “Feed the machine”

All of these causes of being tired are usually ignored by people who suffer needlessly. Don’t let that happen to you. You deserve answers. Take care of yourself day by day. Do not be afraid to find out your diagnosis. 99% of diagnoses are simple and cured right away with a pill or a lifestyle change.

Ask your Doctor questions. That is what they are paid for. Then you can make your own decisions. You never need to be tired or forgetful or struggle or feel hopeless and inefficient again. Take the first step. Make the appointment with your Physician for an Annual Physical! Your insurance covers it and you will become healthy and energetic again. We can help you if you show up.

Be the healthiest you can be!  Step by step.

            

Good Health to You!

 

Patricia Naeder, RN, BS

Medical Advisor

 

This column is for informational purposes only, and represents the opinion, and reporting of the author only. Any discussions with the Author should be presented to your own personal Physician for his/her Professional opinion. It is not meant to substitute for seeing one's own Medical Doctor, Psychiatrist, or Psychologist for Professional care.

This article is copywrited by the Author.