|
Occasional tiredness is normal and affects everyone at some time in their life, but increasing numbers of women admit to feeling tired all the time - a condition often referred to as TATT
Tiredness tends to creep up on you, leaving you feeling washed out and exhausted. More women than men are affected - research suggests as many as one in four women lack energy. We are especially prone to tiredness when we are under stress and when our hormones are playing up (for example, because of PMS, the menopause, or after having a baby). Women are also more likely to feel tired when juggling different aspects of their life - looking after the home, working, caring for young children, organising meals - and have less time to sit down, put up their feet and look after their own health.
Common causes of female TATT
- stress and anxiety
- over-exertion
- following an over-strict slimming diet
- lack of exercise
- pregnancy
- breast-feeding
- looking after young children
- high-pressured job
- poor-quality sleep
- low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia) from irregular meals.
When TATT is persistent and affects the quality of your life, it is important to learn to control it. By making small changes to your diet, improving the quality of your sleep and increasing the amount of exercise you take, you can often overcome TATT.
The right foods
You'll be surprised how much better you will feel if you eat a healthy diet. Cut out sweet, stodgy, fatty foods and eat more fresh fruit, vegetables and complex carbohydrates, such as wholegrain bread, wholemeal pasta and brown rice. Ideally, you need to include five portions of fruit or veg per day, not counting potatoes. This can easily be done by eating:
- one glass of orange juice with breakfast
- an apple mid-morning
- a salad with lunch
- a banana mid-afternoon
- one or two portions of veg with your evening meal.
Take care if you are following the Atkins Diet, the popular high-protein, high-fat, low carbohydrate diet. As this provides very little carbohydrate, it quickly depletes the muscles' main fuel store, glycogen, causing muscles to tire easily, especially during exercise.
Vitamins and minerals
Adequate supplies of vitamins and minerals are essential for healthy metabolism. If these become short in supply, you will soon feel tired all the time. The B-group of vitamins are especially important, as they are needed to produce energy in the body.
Sources of B-group vitamins include: yeast extract, wheatgerm, wholegrain bread and cereals, brown rice, pulses, nuts, dark green vegetables, meat, dairy products and seafood.
If you think your diet may have been poor, a course of a good multinutrient supplement may improve your symptoms. Multibionta, Sanatogen Gold and my own range of vitamins, Healthy Energy, which are available from Tesco, should help to boost your energy levels. Do not exceed the stated dose, however - too much of some vitamins and minerals can be as bad for you as too little.
Iron
One in three women of childbearing age (ie, those still menstruating) are anaemic -usually brought on by heavy, frequent periods, pregnancy, poor diet or a poor ability to absorb and store iron. Another one in three have low iron stores, which can also contribute to feelings of tiredness. Iron containing foods include:
- red meat
- fish, especially sardines
- wheatgerm
- white and brown bread (as they are made with fortified flour)
- egg yolk
- green vegetables
- prunes and other dried fruit.
Increasing your intake of vitamin C will help you absorb iron. For example, drink a glass of fresh orange juice with your breakfast boiled egg. Iron absorption is blocked by tannin, so don't wash down iron-containing foods or supplements with a mug of tea.
Lack of sleep
Sleep is a time of rest, repair, rejuvenation and regeneration. It allows your body to rest and your muscles and joints to recover from constant use. The production of new cells mainly occurs at night, as it is controlled by a growth hormone, which is mostly secreted during sleep. This is one reason why teenagers need so many long lie-ins. Lack of sleep rapidly leads to tiredness, sallow skin and puffy, blood-shot eyes. Your memory and concentration will also suffer.
Tips to get a good night's rest:
1. Avoid day-time naps
2. Avoid over-indulgence in caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, rich or heavy meals, especially in the evening
3. Take regular exercise, but avoid strenuous exercise late in the evening
4. Take time to unwind from the stresses of the day before going to bed -
read a book, listen to soothing music or have a candle-lit bath
5. If something is worrying you, write it down and promise to deal with it in the morning - don't take worries to bed with you
6. Learn to associate the bedroom with sleep - don't use it for study, eating, working or watching TV
7. Go to bed and rise at the same time every day, and set the mood for sleep by establishing a regular bedtime routine, such as checking house security, brushing your teeth, bathing and setting the alarm clock
8. Make sure your bedroom is dark, quiet, and at a comfortable humidity and temperature: 18-24 degrees C is ideal. Let fresh air circulate by opening a window
9. Place a few drops of relaxing lavender essential oil on a hanky and tuck it near your pillow
10. If you can't sleep, don't toss and turn. Get up and read for a while. When you feel sleepy, go back to bed and try again.
Caffeine
Many people who feel tired and stressed make their symptoms worse by drinking too much caffeine in tea, coffee or cola. Caffeine mimics the effects of stress hormones in the body. A person weighing 11 stone (70kg) who drinks more than six caffeine-containing drinks per day (eg, 6 cups of coffee) can develop caffeine 'poisoning', with symptoms of restlessness, irritability, headache, insomnia and tiredness. Cut back on caffeinated drinks slowly - if you stop them too fast you may get withdrawal symptoms.
Exercise
Lack of exercise is one of the key causes of low energy and feeling tired all the time. Inactivity also encourages weight gain and can also lower your mood. If you take the time and trouble to exercise regularly, you will soon notice increased feelings of energy, more stamina and a more positive outlook on life. Exercise boosts your metabolism to burn more fat and release more energy.
Relaxation
If you feel stressed, relaxation is as important as regular exercise. Treat yourself to a massage, a facial, or a soak in an aromatherapy bath. Just sitting down quietly and listening to music by candlelight, or finding a quiet spot to read a book will
help. Encourage the family not to disturb you during your relaxation period. Learn how to say no, so that you're not put upon and overloaded with tasks, either at home or work. There are times when you must put yourself first, and if you are TATT, that's one of them.
Seeking help
If you feel TATT for longer than two weeks, despite increasing your exercise levels, eating a healthy diet and improving your quality of sleep, you must see your doctor. Many illnesses start off with tiredness as one of their first symptoms. Whilst most people who feel tired are unlikely to be seriously ill, it's still worth having a check-up just in case. This is especially important if you have also noticed other symptoms, such as weight loss, cough, shortness of breath, urinary problems or thirst.
Only one in ten sufferers of TATT are likely to have a medical cause for their symptoms, such as:
- Anaemia - especially iron-deficiency anaemia
- Underactive thyroid
- Overactive thyroid
- Depression
- Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)
- Side effects of medication
- Poorly controlled diabetes
- Uncontrolled high blood pressure
- Irregular heart beat
- Heart failure (causing fluid retention)
- Infection - especially glandular fever, or long-term grumbling infections
- Chronic inflammatory diseases (such as rheumatoid arthritis)
- Auto-immune disorders
- Disease of any organs (such as the lungs, kidneys, liver or adrenal glands)
- Post-viral fatigue syndrome
- Serious illness such as cancer (less than 1 in 100 people with TATT)
NB: Carbon monoxide poisoning is worth considering, especially if accompanied by headache, and if symptoms rapidly clear on breathing fresh air.
Why not chat about fatigue and other health issues with fello iVillagers on the Let's Talk About Health message board. Take a look at some of the LIVE discussions taking place right now on the board:
|