How to Cope with Fatigue
From Good Living with Rheumatoid Arthritis
Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms experienced by people with RA, and it is sometimes the first sign of inflammation. Fatigue can impair your ability to concentrate, make you less able to deal with pain, and increase your feelings of helplessness. Like pain, fatigue is a signal that something is wrong.
Fatigue may be caused by several factors including inflammation, overdoing routine activities, medication side effects, stress and depression. Poor sleep and nutrition, and absence of regular exercise also may increase feelings of fatigue.
Feeling tired all the time can lead to more stress and depression. And, if you become physically run down, your immune system becomes less resistant to infection and illness. By setting priorities, making smart choices and conserving your strength, you will still be able to do most of what is important to you.
Pinpointing Causes of Your Fatigue
Your fatigue may be caused by physical, emotional and environmental factors. Environmental factors such as high noise levels, temperature variations, and even daily hassles such as dealing with traffic and waiting in line can make you feel tired.
Keeping a Fatigue Diary
Keeping a fatigue diary can help you discover the causes of your fatigue. Note the times of the day or week when you feel fatigue and what seems to trigger it. Sometimes you may see an obvious solution to the problem. For instance, you may blame overactivity when you feel tired, but by reviewing your diary you may see that your fatigue is a sign of increased disease activity.
Ask Your Doctor
When fatigue is due to inflammation, it is often more easily corrected than when it is due to stress. The inflammatory cytokines (protein molecules) that are released in RA are the same chemicals that are released when you have a severe cold or flu. Your doctor can improve this type of fatigue by prescribing higher doses of your drugs or another drug to control the body’s inflammatory process. Once inflammation is under control, fatigue usually lessens.
It is also important to consider other potential sources of fatigue that your doctor can reverse. Such as anemia, which occurs when the body has too few red blood cells to transport oxygen effectively. One type of anemia, also called “the anemia of chronic disease,” is often seen in people with RA. Effective treatment of arthritis usually resolves this type of anemia. Another cause of anemia is blood loss from stomach ulcers, which may require iron replacement and other treatments.
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