Who understands the term fatigue? What exactly is it? Do we think we experience it on a daily basis? In order to know if we are experiencing it, first, we need to understand what fatigue exactly is.
This condition is actually excessive tiredness which makes doing small and simple tasks hard and it interferes with one or maybe more life functions.
This sounds bad, right? Well, imagine the combination of fatigue and a chronic condition. The inevitable question comes: “Is fatigue a sign of diabetes?”
Bear in mind that fatigue and this chronic condition have a strong bond and the combination of both of them can make life hard.
Here’s how to recognize someone has fatigue and how to fight it.
Is Fatigue a Sign of Diabetes? – What We Should Know
It is completely normal to feel tired now and then. However, if we’re not taking proper control of our disease, it might impact our energy levels.
Fatigue is actually extreme tiredness. It might make it difficult for us to function. Believe it or not, this is very common. According to studies around 85 percent of people affected by this chronic disease experience fatigue.
Let’s make one thing clear; fatigue is definitely a sign of diabetes. Why? It is like that since the disease can directly lead to fatigue because of low or high blood glucose levels.
High blood sugar makes our blood “sludgy.” What that does is that is slowing down the circulation, and when this happens, the cells aren’t able to get the necessary nutrients and oxygen.
But, bear in mind that low glucose levels can also lead to fatigue. This happens because in the case of low glucose levels there isn’t a sufficient amount of fuel for the cells to function properly.
Furthermore, stress can also lead to fatigue. So, in case we’re feeling burned out about having to control and manage our condition on a daily basis, this might be making us feel tired.
Also, our diet and exercise routine might impact how tired we feel during the day. Fatigue can also be a sign of other conditions, so just to be on the safe side we should consult our doctor and talk about any issues we are having.
How to know if we’re experiencing fatigue? Well, we need to know the signs.
Signs of Fatigue
- We can’t remember things;
- A headache;
- We cannot concentrate and focus;
- Irritability;
- Dizziness;
- Low motivation;
- Muscle weakness;
- Slowed reflexes.
If anyone can relate to these signs, don’t wait and take the necessary steps to combat fatigue.
5 Ways to Combat Fatigue
Use these simple tips and combat fatigue.
#1 Drink Plenty of Water
In case we are dehydrated, we can experience fatigue. We should do our best and drink plenty of water throughout the day.
#2 Exercise Regularly
Remember one thing; if we move more, we will feel better and have more energy. It is said that people who take a half an hour walk on a daily basis are actually less tired. This is in comparison to people who don’t do that.
In order to ensure that we will exercise on a daily basis, we need to pick an activity we feel comfortable with and an activity we will enjoy. We should find out what we want and stick to it, and try to exercise on a daily basis from 30 to 60 minutes.
In case we don’t have a whole hour to exercise then we might take a couple of short periods of exercise throughout the day.
#3 Try to Eat Healthily
We should try to have 3 healthy meals and 2 snacks throughout the day in order to maintain our blood glucose steady. We should include healthy carbs from whole grains, vegetables, and fruits in our usual diet.
And, we might get lean protein by including skinless chicken breasts, beans, fish, and tofu.
#4 Get Enough Sleep
Some people have sleep apnea which makes a person briefly stop breathing a few times during the night.
Other signs of sleep apnea are waking up with a sore throat or a headache, feeling sleepy throughout the day, snoring, and having trouble focusing.
We can treat sleep apnea and once we do that we will sleep better and we will feel better. If we sleep well we will have more energy.
#5 Skip Coffee, Late In the Day
We should know that caffeine might keep us awake and also disrupt our sleep. Also, coffee makes it harder for us to control our blood glucose if we’re not careful.
Conclusion
In case we’re experiencing fatigue due to our diabetes, we should do our best to combat it. We should put ourselves first and make our health a top priority.
