One of the commonest complaints heard in the clinical world is- “I’m exhausted “. Some folks are frustrated because their energy is just low enough to derail their resolve for exercise, some are actually disabled by how low their engine is running. Fatigue has many possible causes.

One of the commonest complaints heard in the clinical world is- “I’m exhausted “. Some folks are frustrated because their energy is just low enough to derail their resolve for exercise, some are actually disabled by how low their engine is running. Fatigue has many possible causes…

Poor sleep- there can be many reasons for sleeping badly. To name a few: endocrine imbalance- too high a cortisol level at the end of the day may cause hours of difficulty getting to sleep. Too low a function of the adrenal hormone system can cause frequent awakening during the night. A disruption of the body’s day/night rhythm can cause wakefulness at night, and sleepiness during the day. Low levels of certain neurotransmitters in the brain can prevent the filtering of noise and result in shallow, disturbed sleep. Discomfort due to unresolved or untreated structural problems are obvious rest robbers. Allergy that prevents easy breathing can ruin a night’s sleep. Undiscovered sleep apnea may be involved, and although there are holistic approaches that can help, sometimes a referral for a sleep study is necessary. Anxiety is an obvious block to falling asleep. Nighttime cramps from unbalanced electrolytes is another. Hot flashes or night sweats – everyone knows about that one. There is a large list, and many of these causes can be successfully addressed through a holistic approach.

Hormone imbalances- Everyone has heard a bit about this. If the body’s endocrine glands become overworked, hormones, absolutely essential biochemical messengers, may become too few to do their jobs. This is one of the commonest causes of true fatigue. Stress- that almost unavoidable and powerful influence in our lives, can absolutely cripple the health of our endocrine glands. Medicine has been treating these conditions for a very long time, but it is not always necessary to take pharmaceutical hormones; many of these tired systems can be revived by nutritional interventions. Sometimes nutritional support can easily turn things around. Here is a very short list of symptoms that relate to these kinds of fatigue: can’t get going in the morning- don’t feel rested after a nap- have episodes of extreme sleepiness off and on during the day- have a distinct “dip” in the afternoon, with sugar cravings, irritability, and a strong desire for a snooze- brain fog off and on all day- mood swings, from growing indifference to life, to sudden teary-ness for no obvious reason. A decrease in will power and motivation. Sleep problems. All these and many more can often be traced back to worn out glands.

Nutritional imbalances or insufficiencies- if the factory doesn’t get the right raw materials, it won’t produce the right products, or not enough of them. Bad or not enough gas- not enough horsepower. Industrialized nation’s diets haven’t been that great for a long time. Even if people are aware and careful, it is possible to miss things without occasional guidance, and that has an energy cost. This could be anything from poor supply to the various endocrine glands, to simply borderline anemia.

Mitochondrial problems- these are some of the most difficult energy problems to solve, and require lab testing. They can be genetic.

Pain- A fairly obvious connection. Anyone who hurts enough is going to have some energy problems. There are literally hundreds of potentially effective techniques in the world of holistic medicine to address these kinds of problems effectively.