Tiredness and fatigue is common. It is estimated that at any given time, one in five people will suffer from excessive tiredness and one in ten are chronically fatigued. This can have a major effect on the quality of work and home life.
There are many reasons for fatigue:
- Lack of sleep or abnormal sleep rhythms are common. Many people are unaware they have sleep disturbances.
- Diet: The wrong diet, or bad dietary habits, or food intolerances can both contribute to fatigue. Being overweight and/or unfit are also causes.
- Medical conditions such as thyroid conditions, diabetes, autoimmune disorders infections, and heart problems can cause fatigue.
- Pain due to arthritis and other conditions
- Stress, anxiety or depression.
- Chronic fatigue syndromes and fibromyalgia
The service: what to expect:
You will be seen by Professor Speed, Consultant in Rheumatology, Sport & Exercise Medicine and Clinical Director of The Cambridge Centre for Health and Performance.
You will undergo clinical assessment. Investigations may be planned to look for medical causes for your fatigue. Your sleep patterns, tiredness ratings, diet and activity levels will all be measured using physiological monitoring systems over the course of a week. The results of these assessments will be discussed with you and interventions planned. These may include medical therapies, sleep enhancement strategies, nutrition planning, pain management approaches and exercise. programmes.