What to do about fatigue

Fatigue is a recognized condition that’s distinct from apathy, exercise intolerance, weakness or lack of strength, or tiredness. It can be acute, lasting less than a month — and can be related to everything from overtraining to insomnia and temporary stress.

Or it can be chronic, persisting for months. Whatever the cause, a nap or sound night’s sleep doesn’t relieve it.

How you experience and react to fatigue is influenced by everything from your psychological outlook, personality type and life experience to your overall health. That’s why doctors have developed a new way to measure its impact, called fatigability. It assesses how fatigued you feel in the context of your everyday activities. They have discovered that while one person may struggle with an activity, another person who reports similar fatigue may not get so worn down by it. They have a lower fatigability score! That helps doctors tailor therapies and medical interventions to each individual.

When fatigue is persistent, upsetting and interferes with everyday living, you want to take effective action to alleviate it. Step numero uno is to upgrade your nutrition. You want to adopt an anti-inflammatory diet that excludes added sugars and syrups, highly processed foods, refined grains, and red and processed meats.

A recent study in the journal Nutrients found that “a balanced diet with whole grains high in fibers [100% whole!], polyphenol-rich vegetables and omega-3 fatty-acid-rich foods might be able to improve disease-related fatigue symptoms.”

Next, you want to walk or do other moderate exercise as much and as often as you comfortably can. If your fatigue is related to chronic stress, anxiety or depression, exercise will help manage those emotional challenges. Equally important is working with your doctor to determine if you have an underlying medical condition (diagnosed already or not) that’s triggering fatigue.

Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” and Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Wellness Officer and Chair of Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic. To live your healthiest, tune into “The Dr. Oz Show” or visit www.sharecare. com.