Low energy can certainly be an unpleasant feeling. It becomes especially real when it begins to have an effect on your everyday life, and even coffee no longer helps to energize you in the mornings.
Not having enough sleep can impact your productivity at work, impede your capacity to be physically active, and prevent you from taking pleasure in spending time with family and friends.
It can be worrisome, possibly indicating a serious underlying condition. Finding and addressing the underlying cause of low energy is the key to successful treatment.
A physician will be able to figure out the basis of this issue so that it can receive the right treatment promptly.
In the section that follows, we will go over what characterizes a lack of vitality, possible reasons for the lack of energy, and manifestations of low energy.
What Is Low Energy?
It’s reasonable to assume that everyone has experienced a lack of energy at some stage in life. The precise meaning and grouping of low energy are still being discussed up to the present.
Distinguish between low energy and indicators such as drowsiness, disinterest, fatigue, difficulty doing physical activities, a lack of strength, and sluggishness.
One can experience a lack of mental energy. This impacts your thought process because you may have a decreased level of attentiveness. If you have a lack of mental stamina, it can also hinder your inspiration to accomplish mental tasks. It can also alter your emotional state, resulting in feelings of weariness.
Symptoms Of Low Energy
Symptoms that indicate that you may have low energy include:
- Feeling tired all the time
- Feeling sleepy during the day
- Brain fog
- Difficulty concentrating
An indication that your energy level has become a hindrance in your life is if you find it challenging to carry out necessary activities without feeling weary or spent.
What Causes Low Energy?
Anemia
A major cause of why lots of people are incredibly worn out is a lack of iron, known as anemia. Anemia is a state where not enough healthy red blood cells are present to adequately transport oxygen to the body’s tissues.
Anemia is not restricted to any one group, but postmenopausal women and individuals who experience heavy menstruation are particularly at-risk. This condition can afflict both genders when there are issues with the gastrointestinal tract.
People with iron deficiency anemia have difficulties transporting oxygen to different parts of their body via their blood. Without the right amount of oxygen being delivered around the body, people may have difficulty staying awake, feel lightheaded, and have difficulty concentrating.
Eating too many carbohydrates.
Many of us enjoy snacking on carbs and junk food, however these foods only give a small rush of energy for a short time and then leave you feeling tired the rest of the day. Some researchers hypothesize that people experience fatigue after eating because their body is manufacturing elevated levels of serotonin. This substance plays a part in keeping moods balanced and regulating sleep rhythms.
Your blood sugar levels can fluctuate abruptly, leading to an energy crash.
Failing to move regularly.
Leading a sedentary existence or feeling drained of energy can lead to fatigue if you don’t take part in physical activity.
A condition known as chronic fatigue syndrome is marked by persistent and consistent fatigue every day. The principal indicant is a pronounced exhaustion of body and mind that is unalleviated by rest and slumber.
Not getting enough high-quality sleep.
It’s possible that you believe you’re getting an adequate amount of sleep each night. It has been reported by the National Sleep Foundation’s inaugural Sleep Health Index that almost half of Americans have had their everyday tasks affected by a lack of or inadequate sleep within the past week.
It is crucial to have adequate amounts of rest to sustain good health. Missing out on rest can have significant repercussions, leading to sleeping issues like insomnia or sleep apnea, leaving us with a tired and worn out appearance.
Having a good night’s rest is more important than the duration of sleep. Adults should be obtaining a minimum of seven hours of unbroken rest each evening to carry out to the fullest extent the subsequent day.
Food sensitivities.
There are times when extreme tiredness can be an indicator of an intolerance as opposed to a traditional food allergy which tends to have more serious repercussions.
Common food sensitivities are typically linked to items like gluten, dairy, eggs, corn, and soy. If you think your eating habits are contributing to your fatigue, it might be wise to speak with a nutritionist. They can provide guidance on what foods you ought to and ought not to be eating to relieve your symptoms.
Insufficient hydration.
Maintaining adequate hydration is necessary to maintain your strength, as fluid is depleted from the body during numerous chemical reactions that occur on a daily basis. Due to this, it’s important to replenish the liquid in your body, or else you can experience ailments like headaches, vertigo, and dullness.
High stress levels.
Long-term stress not only can induce unease, but it can drastically decrease the amount of satisfaction one receives from life.
Your body has a basic instinct to ward off potential harm, prompting a “fight or flight” reaction, which can cause feelings of being totally exhausted on both a physical and mental level, with fatigue being a common symptom.
Underactive thyroid.
A person has an underactive thyroid when their body is releasing very little of the thyroid gland hormone, which helps to convert food into energy. As a result, you regularly feel fatigued and tired. You may also experience weight gain and aching muscles.
This illness is much more prevalent among females and generally develops as one gets older. A method of determining if you have this issue is to consult your general practitioner, who can do a blood sample.
Depression
Sadness quite often arises from depression, leaving you feeling fatigued and exhausted.
Thoughts which require deep contemplation tend to be initiated in the early hours of the night, thus, making it difficult to get a good night’s rest which can, in turn, heighten the feeling of fatigue the following day. It is essential not to attempt to cope with depression by yourself. If you’re feeling down, then express your emotions to someone. Once it becomes evident to you that your emotions are causing difficulties, speak to a medical professional regarding what choices you have.
Diabetes
A frequent indication of having either type 1 or type 2 diabetes is a persistent feeling of fatigue. Studies have revealed that people who don’t prioritize their wellbeing because of fatigue and other ailments are more inclined to experience issues in the future.
Nevertheless, other major indicators of the disease consist of having to go to the toilet often, having a strong desire for water, and a decrease in weight.
Post-COVID Fatigue
Lots of people who have had COVID for a long time are afflicted by a host of harsh problems such as having difficulty breathing, hurting muscles, and coughing that won’t go away. Fatigue is another symptom to add to the list.
Every patient describes post-COVID fatigue a little differently. Some report feeling drained, lacking in vigor, feeble, unable to rouse themselves, or drowsy. For some, exhaustion has an effect on them, such as disagreeableness, trouble with remembrance, or giddiness.
Patients may have a consistent level of fatigue, or it may occur after partaking in a strenuous activity like work or exercise. For some, this sensation of exhaustion varies: Occasionally, individuals feel terrific and are capable of participating in their day-to-day tasks. Other days, they feel incapacitated with debilitating symptoms.
Patients universally concur that it does not resemble the type of tiredness one experiences after performing a day’s labor or physical activity. Exhaustion connected to long COVID has both physical manifestations, for instance, lack of energy and doziness, and mental components, such as clouded thinking or poor focus.
Post-COVID fatigue, which can be classified as chronic fatigue syndrome, is ongoing and not alleviated by a regular amount of restful sleep. Patients don’t seem to be able to get a full recharge while sleeping, which leaves them without the power they need to make it through the day. At some stage, their energy is depleted and they have to take a pause in order to get back some strength.
Symptoms of Post-COVID-19 fatigue include physical, cognitive, and behavioral complications, such as:
- Persistent tiredness.
- Short-term memory problems.
- Poor concentration.
- Difficulty paying attention.
- Low motivation.
- Delayed reflexes.
- Impaired motor skills.
- Poor decision-making skills.
- Mild to severe headaches.
- Dizziness and nausea.
- Muscle aches, joint aches, and weakness.
- Moodiness and irritability.
- Poor hand-eye coordination.
- Loss of appetite.
- Reduced immune system function.
- Blurry vision.
What Causes Post-COVID Fatigue?
Although there is increasing attention from researchers towards long COVID and the continuing aftereffects, there is still no clearly defined source of post-COVID tiredness. At this stage, researchers can’t say with complete certainty which factors are at work in long haulers, but some of the most likely explanations for post-COVID fatigue include some combination of the following:
- Breathing problems.
- Neurovascular coupling dysfunction.
- Autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysfunction.
- Gastrointestinal problems.
- Exaggerated immune response.
- Dysfunctional mitochondria.
- Secondary fatigue
How Long Does Post-COVID Fatigue Last?
When the severity of the coronavirus infection is most intense, feeling fatigued can be expected. For the majority of individuals, this exhaustion dissipates within a span of two to three weeks. Don’t push yourself to do too much at once; trying to hurry the healing process can make you exhausted for a more extended period.
It is uncertain as to how long exhaustion from COVID-19 will persist in those who have suffered from it for an extended period. In a study of over 1200 people who had contracted a long-haul illness, more than half reported exhaustion six months after getting sick, and one in five were still experiencing it one year later.
It is not the intensity of the initial infection that determines how long or how intense the weariness felt by the patients will be. Patients who experience serious COVID-19 symptoms can recuperate swiftly, yet those with a mild occurrence may experience fatigue for an extended duration afterwards.
Patients have multiple choices when it comes to battling post-COVID fatigue.
What Can I Do to Manage Post-COVID Fatigue?
What are some strategies you can use if you are feeling fatigued due to the after-effects of COVID-19? No drug has been designed to address fatigue specifically, but there are a multitude of strategies you can use to make the symptoms easier, assist your convalescence, and better your quality of life.
Maintain a consistent sleeping schedule: Retire and awaken at the same time on a daily basis, including weekends. Establishing a regular routine could provide your body with a pattern that might aid you in achieving a better night’s rest. Melatonin supplements could possibly be beneficial.
If you’re feeling drained after completing something, try taking a half hour snooze to revitalize yourself. Don’t nap too much during the day as this will interfere with your normal bedtime routine, leading to an even greater feeling of tiredness.
Engaging in physical activity on a regular basis can lead to increased feelings of exhaustion initially, however, this will soon be replaced with increased vitality. Even a short walk can help. Start slowly and build up intensity and frequency gradually.
Do some calming activities: Give activities like meditation or yoga a go to relax. If you can, consider a trip to the spa. It has been suggested to utilize spa treatments as a method to cope with exhaustion from COVID-19 and this could possibly provide a benefit on muscle performance and alleviate muscular aches. If you cannot go to the spa, request a shoulder massage from someone who you trust, or do a self-massage.
Take a couple of tranquil moments to try slow, measured inhaling and exhaling – gradually drawing in the air for four seconds and then releasing the air for six seconds, pausing for a second before you breathe in again. Repeat. You can also explore these resources for breathing exercises.
Making humming noises, singing, or gargling can appear to be a peculiar way to lower tension, stress, and tiredness; however, it is one of the simplest ways to accomplish this. The vagus nerve is a lengthy neural pathway running from the brain down through the neck, chest, and abdomen, which links the brain with other parts of the body. Stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system, through humming, singing, or gargling, has the effect of helping one to relax and feel more energetic.
Make sure to incorporate a healthy diet that includes nutrient-rich items, drinking plenty of water, and staying away from unhealthy fats, processed items, and too much sugar. If your digestion is not functioning correctly, do not abruptly alter your diet as this could lead to further metabolic fluctuations and intensify tiredness.
Locate someone to speak with: Locate a buddy or a specialist therapist to converse regarding your psychological well-being, especially if your exhaustion is causing you grief and hopelessness. Pretending that these emotions don’t exist won’t make them disappear, but by recognizing them and taking action to address them, their intensity can be reduced. You might look into using one of the numerous mental health related applications that have become increasingly common since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Taking magnesium supplements could be a good solution if you are dealing with migraines, since numerous studies suggest that this might be an effective method of controlling them. This has not been studied in individuals who suffer from chronic migraines, however, other investigations have discovered that patients had less extreme and less often migraines after taking magnesium. Consult your healthcare provider before changing your supplement regimen.
Understand that highs and lows are to be anticipated: Embrace the fact that you will go through times of both positivity and negativity. Fatigue and other symptoms may come in waves. Progressing in recovery does not always happen in a straight line, therefore having one setback should not be seen as an indicator that you have not been making progress.
Preserve your vigor: When you’re at the job or in your dwelling, give attention to significant daily procedures or assignments that require heightened intellectual exertion when you have the most strength.
Maintain a log of tiredness: Cataloguing your exhaustion through a diary can assist you in noticing your long-term energy levels and caution you with regards to what may spark a rise in weariness when you complete your day by day activities. This list could be beneficial to discuss with your doctor or other medical personnel when considering treatment plans.
