A Complete Overview of Fatigue and its effect in Indians.

The process of how fatigue can affect the human body is quite an interesting function. Fatigue is simply described as a state that the physical body goes through which happens when there has been a constant amount of physical, emotional and mental stress that has been going on continuously, that surprisingly does not go away after ample amounts of rest.

Indians have sky-rocketed towards getting different kinds of fatigue over the past couple of years, and will continue to do so due to the demanding work timings and unruly hours that they go in for work. This is amplified whenever the lifestyle is also one filled with secondary and solitary amounts of time spent alone as well as lazying about with no physical exercise, a very poor diet and food choices, and even lack of proper sleep all have led to fatigue catching up on unsuspecting individuals.

WHAT ARE THE COMMON CAUSES FOR FATIGUE IN INDIA?

Fatigue has been found to be produced by a lot of different factors, be it physical, mental and even other forms. Yet among Indians, the amount of causes that can garner quite a lot of effects can be the following:-

POOR DIET 

Indian diets are one of the most overwhelming diets in the world, as they consume large amounts of carbs, food items that are both fried as well as full of sugar and contain trace amounts of protein from the food items that they consume daily, which will obviously lead to a very bad and upsetting diet.

IRON DEFICIENCY

This is particularly common among the women of India, and it is mostly due to their menstrual cycle as well as not having quite as much iron in their bodies to handle the menstruation, causing the woman to get anemia and other serious health conditions.

DISORDERS WITH THE THYROID

Adults that are having lots of hypothyroidism are one of the largest sources for receiving plenty of unexplained fatigue.

DIABETES

This is becoming a very big problem among Indians in a very short and abrasive manner, and this can cause serious amounts of fatigue and other major issues that will continue to affect the body if there is no prevention of this epidemic.

SLEEP DEPRIVATION

If an adult that has been working for very long work hours, having a lot of screen time during the day continuously, and even having lots of stress are all responsible for significantly reducing the amount of quality sleep that you can get.

Fatigue can often stem from underlying blood-related issues. To understand whether low hemoglobin levels might be contributing to your fatigue, read our blog on Anemia Symptoms in Hindi.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCIES THAT AFFECT FATIGUE? 

A majority of the Indians who are currently suffering through fatigue are primarily due to how their bodies are simply not receiving the required nutrients their bodies need to go through their daily lives. This is more often than not simply ignored by the affected individuals, as they will only be getting the necessary blood tests whenever they start to experience serious health conditions. Down below are some of the most dangerous deficiencies when it comes to nutrition for the body:-

• Anemia, which affects more than 50% of women in India who are confirmed to be extremely anemic. A lack of Iron that is within their bodies means that they will not be able to carry the required amount of oxygen through the brain and into the body itself, leading to a lot of serious health complications.
• A deficiency in Vitamin B12 is also a rather common defect that is found among lots of vegetarians. This will primarily be able to affect both nerves that are all around the body as well as the amount of energy levels that are available for the body to complete its complex actions.
• Deficiency in Vitamin D is also a common feature of many individuals who are affected by fatigue, as it prevents immunity and energy levels from travelling throughout the body itself, and Indians who live in an urban world are unable to receive proper Vitamin D due to how they live.
• Lastly, the inclusion of magnesium and zinc within the body can help with the process of metabolism and how the immune system can function properly, which is unfortunately missing in most fast-food options that a majority of Indians are selecting more and more of with each passing day.

HOW DOES MENTAL FATIGUE AND STRESS AFFECT OUR DAILY LIVES?

Not every type of fatigue has been found to be physical. There have been plenty of cases where mental fatigue alone was more than enough to cause major effects on the body. Feeling burned out during work is one of the most common aspects of daily life, yet it is only when you continue taking this very lifestyle for a very long time that you start to notice what is going wrong with your mental health.

• Working extremely long hours that leave very little, if any personal time for you and your family can be the driving force for why you are unable to feel relaxed at all, leading to a very serious amount of mental fatigue.
• For much younger children who are either in school or college, the amount of stress that accumulates over time simply due to the way they ask the students to perform in a specific way and to uphold the standard of the school or college's identity, it will bring up the amount of stress and pressure upon them tenfold.
• For housewives at the household who are responsible for what is being served for the entire family as well as other important aspects of taking care of the house while sometimes simultaneously taking care of their work place responsibilities, which can create quite a bit of stress from managing two completely different spectrums at the same time.

WHAT ARE SOME MEDICAL CONDITIONS THAT CAUSE FATIGUE IN INDIANS?  

In case you are getting the preferred amount of sleep that is required for good wellbeing and mental health, are having the correct amount of nutrients within your daily diet and are not cutting any corners when it comes to following your diet, yet you are still feeling overwhelmed and exhausted each passing day, you are liable to search for other possible medical causes that has led to this very moment. Be advised that there are hundreds of underlying medical conditions that have been known to cause a lot of fatigue among individuals, and almost all of these conditions are not properly diagnosed because of the lack of proper and beneficial routine checkups that are meant to find the sources for the fatigue.

• Hypothyroidism has to be one of the most common conditions where fatigue has been a major player, as well as the body's metabolism lowering and a steady increase in weight gain.
• People who are diabetic in nature are also subject to experiencing lots of fatigue simply due to the lack of sugar present within the body to be converted into energy.
• Heart Disease is also another contributor to the amount of fatigue an individual receives from the very low blood supply that the affected heart is able to produce for the entire body.
• Sleep Apnea is a rather strange contributor for an individual experiencing a lot of sleep interruptions during the middle of the night, leading to lots of restlessness during their waking hours which inevitably leads to excess amounts of fatigue.
• Certain infections such as Dengue, typhoid and even individuals who are affected by a long-term COVID viral infection are capable of having major amounts of fatigue after the initial conditions have come and gone.

Hormonal imbalances such as low testosterone or DHEAS can also cause fatigue, especially in aging adults. Know more in our blog on What is a Free Testosterone Blood Test and Dhea-Sulphate (DHEAS) test in Hindi. 

WHAT ARE THE RECOMMENDED BLOOD TESTS TO TAKE IN INDIA? 

• Taking a Complete Blood Count Test will prove to be extremely useful as it will be able to take note of how fatigued your body is based on your blood count.
• A Thyroid Function test will be able to get a good reading of the amount of energy levels that are already present in your body to understand if it is the cause of your fatigue. Persistent fatigue may be linked to thyroid dysfunction. Explore more in our detailed article on Thyroid in Hindi.
• Taking a Blood Sugar Test is an option that will usually be able to give proper results on both the energy levels of the body as well as how much the body is able to absorb the energy that is available.
• A vitamin B12 and Vitamin D Blood Test will be able to find a direct link between vitamin B12 deficiency and fatigue.
• The liver and kidney function test will be able to pinpoint all the toxic gases that may have built up over time due to improper functioning of the liver and kidneys which have led to a lot of unexplained fatigue throughout the body.

WHAT ARE SOME COMMON FACTORS THAT INCREASE FATIGUE? 

SKIPPING PROPER BREAKFAST

Not having breakfast properly and at the correct time will cause the body to not receive the proper amounts of sugar that is required to operate the body without any repercussions and will also cause the brain to develop some brain fog.

CONSTANT CONSUMPTION OF CAFFEINE AND TEA

Although this will give the body a much-needed boost to work for the day, its effects are extremely short and will lead you to feel very tired and stressed after a short while.

ABUSING THE AMOUNT OF SCREENTIME YOU TAKE 

This will disrupt how much melatonin is present in your body as well as upset your very own sleep cycle and ultimately causes fatigue throughout the body.

NO PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

Not having proper physical exercise as you move on in your day to day life will cause a lot of loss when it comes to the circulation of blood around your body. It will also not provide enough oxygen to most parts of your body.

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO REDUCE THE INCREASE OF FATIGUE AROUND YOUR BODY? 

• Try and keep a proper and consistent sleeping schedule of at least 7 to 8 hours a day, as it will provide a much better active brain and prevent brain fog from occurring.
• Having a nice, decent walk of about 30 minutes a day in a park can be detrimental for your day to day life or try your hand at some very simple and light exercise.
• Hydration is key for remaining fatigue-free, and having at least 2 to 3 liters a day can be quite beneficial for an individual suffering from constant fatigue.
• Lastly, consumption of heavy meals have confirmed to have a drastic effect on the body's fatigue levels, and sugary snacks have contributed to an excess amount of sugar in the body that is not quickly broken down for the body to absorb, leading to a lot of weight gain over a short period of time as well as large amounts of fatigue.

WHEN ARE YOU REQUIRED TO VISIT A DOCTOR?

• Having a lot of fatigue during a medical condition is a relatively normal and common side-effect in many cases, however, if the fatigue persists long after the condition has been treated, it is the cause for concern and medical attention must be taken immediately.
• If the fatigue itself has been able to last more than a couple of weeks at a time, you are obligated to go and visit a doctor.
• In case you are still feeling tired after a comfortable night of sleep that lasted 8 hours, it is a cause for concern.
• You start to unexpectedly lose focus and have lots of issues trying to remember simple and easy things.
• Every time you wake up, you will begin to experience a feeling of anxiety, weakness and even go mentally blank most of the time.

WHAT ARE SOME DAILY HABITS MANY INDIANS CAN BUILD UP OVER TIME TO COMBAT FATIGUE?

• At the start of the day, always have a breakfast meal that is filled to the brim with protein, with the inclusion of eggs, dal cheela as well as a complete paneer sandwich.
• While you are having your healthy breakfast alternative, try and plan out what the entire 3 major meals will be from now onwards. Including 2 small snacks in between will also keep the energy reserves of the body active and ready to be utilized.
• Always try and have a system where you will switch off the phones, laptops and televisions one hour before you go to sleep.
• Having 30 minutes of your time be spent practicing some form of yoga or by simply taking a walk down the park can significantly help the body's ability to process energy and get rid of excess amounts of stress.
• Lastly, make sure that you have a doctor's appointment where a blood test is taken every 6 to 12 months to keep a good eye on any potential fatigue markers.

Learn about essential foods that can help boost your energy in Top 10 Vitamin B12-Rich Vegetarian Foods for Indian Diets.

WHAT ARE SOME COMMON MYTHS ABOUT FATIGUE AMONG INDIANS? 

Feeling Tired after 30 is very normal

This is not true at all, as the amount of fatigue a person feels at any age is unnatural, and feeling tired constantly is a means of worry for many individuals.

It is all only in your head

Mental fatigue is a very real issue many individuals are facing worldwide and is nothing to turn a cold shoulder to. People who are suffering from mental fatigue are required to get help immediately.

Just have an energy drink or some coffee

While at first it provides some sort of relief, it will quickly leave and make way for some more fatigue.

Only women get easily tired

Men are just as likely, if not more than likely, to suffer from constant fatigue. This is mostly due to the amount of stress they find themselves through or through getting ill a lot of times, which can lead to chronic fatigue.

Fatigue is often a side effect of systemic inflammation or infection. Understand how inflammation works by reading CRP Test In Hindi and Understanding the CRP Blood Test and What It Reveals.

 

FAQS 

WHAT TESTS SHOULD I GET DONE FOR FATIGUE? 

The best tests that can be used in combating severe amounts of constant fatigue are the CBC test, the Thyroid Dysfunction test, Both the Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D Blood Tests and the Blood Sugar tests are the places to get started.

CAN STRESS TESTS ALONE CAUSE FATIGUE? 

It can very much affect individuals who have been diagnosed with chronic fatigue thanks to both mental and physical fatigue throughout the years.

WHAT INDIAN FOODS CAN HELP FIGHT FATIGUE?  

Having a proper diet consisting of Palak, Paneer, nuts, bananas, jaggery, lentils as well as eggs are all considered to be great additions to help against fatigue.

 

CONCLUSION

Fatigue is not something that should be taken lightly at the slightest, as its implications may mean hundreds of medical conditions that may potentially be affecting your body. Your body sends out signals whenever the body is overwhelmed either physically or mentally and it may be how your lifestyle has been like for the past couple of years.

Indians have especially been affected greatly by how fatigue has become much more common among their households, either due to work exhaustion, personal problems or a mix of the two. The amount of awareness that is required for this common condition  is that it must be treated like a health issue, rather than a lifestyle issue. With the help of a much better diet, sleep schedule and management of stress, Indians who have been under the influence of chronic fatigue will be able to take care of it once and for all.

 

 

Medical Disclaimer – The information that has been written is only to be used for educational purposes. There has been no information presented by this website, be it tests, images and graphics, which should be taken as professional medical advice. Always consult with your doctor regarding any medical advice that may relate to your condition.