Progressive Progressive Medical Center - 2019 | Page 21

6. Looking in the mirror your notice:
A. You look as apathetic as you feel
B. You look like yourself
C. Your eyebrows aren’t what they
used to be. And your part looks wider
QUIZ RESULTS:
A. CORTISOL DYSRHYTHMIA
C. Are always cold Cortisol normally spikes in the
morning to help wake us up and then
slowly declines throughout the day.
Our bodies make cortisol when we
move around, and so this fatigue type
tends to feel better with exercise or
moving around. They say things like
“I’m fine as long as I keep moving.”
Caffeine can boost their energy, but
it can also make them more frantic or
anxious—the classic “tired and wired.”
D. Feel fine, why are you asking? B. FIBROMYALGIA
E. Are cold and pale, like the rest of you Fibromyalgia fatigue is typified by
unrelenting fatigue and body aches.
There are often sleep disturbances
as well. This fatigue type has to
drag themselves through their day
using heroic efforts and often feels
exhausted after doing something as
simple as grocery shopping or going
to an appointment. Lab work and a
physical exam are often normal, and
fibromyalgia is diagnosed after other
causes of fatigue are ruled out.
D. You have dark circles
under your eyes (ugh!)
E. You look so pale
7. Your hands and feet:
A. Seem to have a fine tremor
B. Hurt
QUIZ TALLY
A:
B:
C:
D:
E:
C. HYPOTHYROID
The thyroid hormone is responsible
for all metabolism in the body, so
when it is low, energy is low. Along
with low energy, this fatigue type
feels cold when other people feel
normal and may have slow bowels
or constipation, hair loss, and dry
skin. Exercise makes them feel
worse because their cells don’t
have the metabolic support to
exercise and recover. Lab tests
to look at the thyroid can tell you
whether your thyroid is making
enough of the thyroid hormone.
D. INSOMNIA/UNDERSLEEP
This fatigue type responds better to
a nap than any other fatigue type.
In fact, getting more sleep is the
obvious answer to this fatigue type,
but not everyone realizes that they
aren’t getting enough sleep. Some
people need more than eight hours
of sleep. Other people might be
getting enough hours, but they have
a condition called sleep apnea which
interrupts their sleep multiple times
an hour. If you feel like you could
fall asleep anywhere, anytime, but
feel otherwise healthy, your fatigue
might be due to a sleep issue.
E. ANEMIA
Anemia means you don’t have all the
nutrients your body needs to make
red blood cells. Red blood cells carry
oxygen to all the cells, so this fatigue
type tends to easily become short of
breath because breathing harder is our
body’s way of trying to increase the
amount of oxygen that gets to the cells.
Anemia sufferers also tend to be cold
and pale because of a lack of blood.
There are multiple types of anemia, and
some basic lab work can tell you what
type it might be and how to remedy it.
OTHER TYPES OF FATIGUE
The above fatigue types are
the most common, but there
are other types of fatigue:
• Low blood sugar: This person is
your classic “hangry” person who
always feels better after a snack.
• Overexercise: Hardcore exercise
requires hardcore recovery!
This person loves exercise but
notices that they aren’t recovering
like they used to and may even
notice a decline in performance
• Boredom: This fatigue type feels
fine until they set themselves to
a task they don’t like or that they
find repetitive, be it schoolwork,
driving, or paperwork.
• Exercise induced: Someone who
gets exhausted when climbing
stairs or carrying groceries
may have cardiac or pulmonary
compromise and should consult
a doctor for further evaluation.
• Chronic infection: this person
has low-level fevers, body aches,
and just never feels well.
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