Chronic Fatigue Causes and How Nootropics Can Help

Move at lightning speed to get to the next appointment. Close another deal. Pick up the kids or deliver everyone to their respective morning stops while arriving to work on time. All of this routine activity zaps your energy. Substitute these activities for those that hit home with you, and we wonder how any of us survive the harried pace. As a result, fatigue envelops each of us, no matter how unwelcome a guest. Find out more about chronic fatigue causes and how nootropics can help.

Lingering Fatigue Wears You Out

As you have likely experienced, lingering fatigue wears on your mental health and cognitive abilities. Have you ever sat in a meeting trying desperately to force your brain to understand and function? Did you walk out of that meeting having learned nothing? Did your words become embarrassingly jumbled in conversation? Yes, your entire bodily system slows to a near halt when this feeling of fatigue creeps into your day. But, hope for the weary exists with nootropics. These substances, which are found naturally in foods and artificially in pills, offer support for the brain, enhance mental performance, and increase energy.

The Evidence of Fatigue

Find out the telltale signs of fatigue to see if it's taking over your life. If you answer “yes” to any of the following questions, fatigue has found you. Mental and physical lethargy, a more constant state of “blah,” result from regular bouts of fatigue. Often, tiring easily or lack of energy equates with fatigue, but the issue extends beyond this one symptom.

• Do you struggle to get out of bed in the morning?
• Has your day often ended with you collapsing onto the couch?
• Do you fight to stay awake and alert at your desk?
• Are there times when you seem not to care about important matters?
• Does mental restlessness keep you from concentrating on the task at hand?
• Are you unable to make simple decisions?

Where Fatigue Can Take You

Feelings of fatigue are more than just being tired. Ongoing fatigue can lead to a lack of motivation and difficulty concentrating. It can also make it challenging to focus and impair your memory. Fatigue can make it harder to face your responsibilities at work and home.

The Enemy

Many people explain away the symptoms of fatigue as battling an illness, a product of aging or other benign causes. This lack of action leads us into dangerous places. On the other hand, feeling exhausted, lethargic or tired mentally or physically rightly points patients to the doctor’s office. While not a disease itself, fatigue is more than a nuisance. In fact, it can be debilitating. Fatigue wreaks havoc on work, family and extracurricular activities. Finding the cause requires a thorough review of your medical history with a doctor. While lifestyle factors commonly lay at the heart of fatigue, medical conditions or medications may also contribute to this state of weariness. Several potential factors can contribute to fatigue.

Diet

We have heard it plenty of times before, “You are what you eat.” Meals lacking in vitamins, minerals and the right mix of macronutrients lead to deficiencies within your body. Deficiencies negatively impact your energy levels. Low stores of vitamin B12, vitamin D, folic acid and iron invite exhaustion into your days.

Exercise

Perhaps the major contributing factor to fatigue is a lack of physical activity. On the other hand, an excess of exercise also leads to symptoms of fatigue. Even failing to exert your muscles within appropriate ranges eventually robs you of energy.

Sleep

While the obvious answer to fatigue is a lack of sleep, many of us still fail to get adequate hours of restful slumber. Busyness, shift work, use of electronics and catching up on work during the night cut the hours your body needs to rejuvenate. More severe issues such as sleep apnea, insomnia, acid reflux, and pregnancy disrupt your nightly rest as well.

Anxiety

Mental struggles tend to zap your energy more than physical exertion at times. Anxiety, depression, eating disorders, grief, and drug or alcohol abuse work to this end. Stress wears the body and mind by distracting it from tasks needing your attention. Productivity at work wanes, which, in turn, causes even more stress. This added stress leads to more fatigue in a vicious cycle.

Medications

Antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, sedatives, steroids, and antihistamines may also cause fatigue. Unfortunately, adjusting doses for best results and managing symptoms is all that can be done when someone needs this type of medication to function normally. However, a discussion with your doctor is always warranted. Health care professionals always have techniques to deal with the effects of medications based on sound medical science.

Health Conditions

A primary reason for involving medical professionals in the discussion of fatigue is the reality that the lack of motivation may be symptomatic of a larger issue. For instance, anemia, hypothyroidism, diabetes, kidney and liver disease may present themselves as fatigue in your body. Heart abnormalities, arthritic conditions, cancers, and chronic lethargy could also be markers for fatigue.

Nootropics to the Rescue

Once you determine the causes of chronic fatigue, it's time to find a solution. Fortunately, in many cases, nootropics provide an antidote to fatigue and the gaggle of symptoms which accompany it. These powerful substances are your weapon of choice in the battle against fatigue. For example:

• Creatine and Rhodiola Rosea may decrease fatigue.
• Melatonin may reduce episodes of insomnia and symptoms of jet lag.
• Fish Oil and Zinc may improve mood.
• Bacopa Monnieri may increase memory.
• Inositol may relieve stress.

Consuming nootropics through foods or supplements may bring victory to your battle with fatigue. It feels good to have the energy you need to tackle your responsibilities and enjoy life.