Know When to See a Doctor for Fatigue
We all have times when we feel tired during our hectic lives, but sometimes fatigue means that it is time to see a doctor. This is especially true when fatigue has started to seriously interfere with your life, or when extreme fatigue comes on suddenly and for no apparent reason. Fatigue is a symptom of many illnesses, which only your doctor can diagnose.
Instructions
Review Your Lifestyle for Innocuous Causes
1. Keep a log of your work hours to see whether overwork may be causing your fatigue. Include the time you spend commuting to and from work, and time you spend at home finishing work or making work-related phone calls.
2. Take note of your caffeine intake. Caffeine acts as a stimulant on your system, and once its effects wear off, you are left feeling more fatigued than before. This is especially true if you drink caffeinated drinks later in the day.
3. Write down your exercise schedule. Exercise causes natural muscle fatigue as it uses up your body's energy. Overexercise can leave you in a perpetual state of fatigue. If you think you may be overdoing it, try cutting out a workout or two to see whether your fatigue lessens.
4. Pay attention to your bedtime. Lack of sleep is probably the most common cause of fatigue, and you may not even know that you are shorting yourself on it. Most people need at least 7 hours of sleep per night, so take the time to keep a sleep diary for a week to see whether you are getting enough.
Watch for Signs That You Need to See a Doctor
5. Contact your doctor right away for fatigue combined with dizziness. Dizziness and fatigue can indicate serious problems such as diabetes, which your doctor needs to know about.
6. Schedule a doctor's appointment for blurred vision. Blurry vision and fatigue can also indicate diabetes or even cancer.
7. Call you doctor immediately when your fatigue is combined with swelling, weight gain and a low urine volume. These symptoms may indicate a serious problem with your liver or kidneys, which your doctor needs to know about quickly.
8. Consider contacting your doctor when you are experiencing problems sleeping. Ongoing sleep problems are often treatable and can help reduce your fatigue
9. Set up a doctor's appointment when your fatigue is accompanied by sadness or depression.
Tags: your doctor, your fatigue, combined with, doctor appointment, Doctor Fatigue, doctor needs