Diabetes not just affect your lifestyle and diet but it also effects your endurance and energy level. The level of exhaustion exceed beyond normal and you will feel drained out even after doing a light physical activity. The constant diabetes fatigue makes you irritated and you will feel yourself as disable when it comes to physical activities. All these things causes depression in the patients. Let’s see why diabetes makes the patients worn out and how one can get the energy back to live a healthy life.
Causes of fatigue
- High blood sugar – The increased sugar level in the blood makes the blood sticky and thus the blood flow inside the capillaries slowed down which results into slow transport of oxygen to the cells. You must have felt sleepy after having a big meal even in normal condition and it happens because of the hike in blood sugar level. A diabetic person with high blood sugar will have the feeling of sleepiness and lethargy all the time. High blood sugar also causes inflammation which further enhance the exhaustion level in the body and you feel tired every time.
- Insulin resistance – Insulin makes the cells to take up glucose from the blood and utilize it to give energy but insulin resistance interrupt this process and glucose remained kept out of the body cells which reduces the energy level in the cells and it affects the whole body inform of fatigue.
- Hypoglycemia – It is simply known as low blood sugar condition and it also causes fatigue. Since, sugar is the main source of energy in the body and in its absence the energy level goes down immediately which results into fatigue.
- Mental stress – Any kind of stress especially mental stress adversely affects the metabolism by elevating the level of stress hormone Cortisol in the body. The diabetic condition generally leads to mental stress because the patient has to deal with the medications, regular tests, restrictions on diet and activities. The stress affects the appetite and sleeping pattern of the patients which results into untimely eating, overeating, less eating, sleep deprivation etc. These conditions makes you deprived of energy and increases the tiredness in the body.
If your sugar level is under control and you still are feeling worn out all the time then you must consult your doctor immediately as other conditions can also cause fatigue and the cause must be found out as soon as possible. Here are some conditions which causes fatigue:
- Sleep apnea – It is very common in diabetics and thus you must get yourself tested for it.
- Anemia – The lower count of RBC in the body reduces the oxygen level in the body which causes fatigue.
- Low or High Thyroid activity – Thyroid gland plays an important role in maintaining a normal metabolism and its hypo or hyper activity can interrupt the metabolism which results into exhaustion.
- Chronic infection – Infections in the body can cause inflammation in the body which also result into fatigue
- Immune related problems – Diabetes is threat to immune system as it weakens the system and increase the chances of catching disease. A bad immune system also reflects into the form of fatigue.
The above conditions can be tested but there are many behavioral condition which cannot be tested but yes, they can be changed. These behavioral conditions are:
- Stress – It can increase the heart rate and blood pressure which will drain out your energy.
- Unhealthy diet – Sugars and refined grains can cause tiredness therefore one should consider low carb diet.
- Night shifts or irregular shifts – The late hour working greatly affects the sleeping pattern which causes sleep deprivation. This results into drowsiness and fatigue.
- Depression – Considering the things negatively affects the condition of body a lot and it can only be treated with optimistic behavior.
- No exercise – If you have a sedentary lifestyle then your body will become stiff and rigid which further restrict your movements and when you will do some strenuous work then you will be exhausted.
Getting your energy back
You can win half of war by knowing the problem means till now you must have understood thoroughly that what are the reasons of your constant tiredness. Now coming on the solution, here are some tips which you should practice regularly to lead a healthy and energetic life.
- Enough sleep – Studies recommends 7-8 hours of sleep for a normal body because your body do all the repairing work on cellular level during your sleeping hours. You will wake up fully refreshed after a sound sleep.
- Day naps – Short sleeping session in day around 1 – 3 pm is also a good method of rejuvenating yourself. If you can catch some sleep during this time period then take a quick nap for sure.
- Control your blood sugar – As you have seen how high or low blood sugar can make you tired therefore try to control your sugar level by medications, diet, exercise or supplements.
- Get tested – If your blood sugar is controlled then get yourself tested for other causes like anemia, thyroid problems etc.
- Know your medicines – Ask your doctor or pharmacist about the side effects of your medicines that if it can cause fatigue. If it does and get it changed immediately.
- Juicing – Drinking juices of fruits and vegetables early in the morning refreshes and reduces the fatigue.
- Supplements – Energy supplements like Ginseng, vitamin B12, magnesium, alpha-lipoic acid, acetyl-L-carnitine, and coenzyme Q-10 are mostly recommended by doctors. You can ask your doctor about using any of them.
- Hydrate yourself – Drink at least 3 – 4 liters of water in a day to keep yourself hydrated. Dehydration can also cause fatigue and therefore you should eat food with high water content especially in hot weather.
- Go outside – Go for morning walks to get sunshine. Sunlight is very important for the synthesis of vitamin D in the body and it also takes off your fatigue from the body.
- Breathing exercises – Focus on your breathing to release stress and calm down your mind. You can take guidance from yoga instructor or DVDs available for such things.
- Light exercises – You can try yoga to condition your body and build stamina without stressing yourself. Do the exercises under expert guidance.
- Counseling – If you are going through depression then regular counseling can help you in reducing the anxiety and stress.
- Spend time with your loved ones – happiness is the biggest medicine and it comes from the company of loved ones. Try to spend more time with your family, friends, kids or pets to divert your focus from your disease and live the life fullest by sharing happiness with them.
Stay positive – Being optimistic can help you in recovering faster. You must believe that you can fight off this condition very well with help of medicines and your efforts. The positive attitude keep you motivated and your condition will improve soon.