Chronic fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome are common conditions which affect millions of Americans. While their symptoms are similar in nature, there are several differences between the two.
Keep reading as we dive into how chronic fatigue syndrome and chronic fatigue are different, the possible causes for each, and ways you can take a more natural approach to alleviate fatigue symptoms at home or with wellness solutions at Nova Vita.
What Causes Chronic Fatigue?
Chronic fatigue is more than feeling general tiredness. It impacts your daily routine, mood levels, and the amount of energy you have. Chronic fatigue is often caused by personal lifestyle habits, including:
- Excess physical activity
- Alcohol or drug use
- Medications, including antihistamines
- Not getting enough sleep
- Unhealthy eating
- Lack of physical activity
Chronic Fatigue Symptoms:
- Fatigue
- Memory problems
- Difficulty concentrating
- Headaches
- Unexplained muscle pain
- Dizziness that worsens when moving from sitting to standing
- Unrefreshing sleep
Natural Remedies for Chronic Fatigue:
Coenzyme Q10
People with chronic fatigue syndrome may not produce enough ATP, which is what provides the cells in your body with energy. When levels of ATP get low, you feel extremely tired. Coenzyme Q10, also known as CoQ10, helps your body produce more ATP. In a study of 155 people with chronic fatigue, people who took CoQ10 had increased energy levels and the ability to exercise.
Nova Vita Wellness Centers offers CoQ10 in low-level and high-level boosters administered via an intramuscular injection.
Essential fatty acids
People living with chronic fatigue often have low levels of essential fatty acids. These important fatty acids aid in reducing inflammation and boosting the health of the immune system. Research found that people living with chronic fatigue who supplemented their diet with more essential fatty acids experienced fewer symptoms after eight to 12 weeks.
Common food sources of essential fatty acids:
- Fish, especially cold-water fatty fish, such as salmon, tuna, and sardines
- Nuts and seeds
- Plant oils
- Avocados
Melatonin
If you believe your chronic fatigue symptoms are associated with poor sleep quality, melatonin may be a helpful solution. Melatonin is a natural sleep hormone produced by the brain in response to darkness. In order to increase your sleep quality, take the recommended dose of melatonin an hour before bed. No research exists directly supporting melatonin for treating chronic fatigue syndrome, yet data shows the supplement can improve energy levels following a night of better-quality sleep.
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is important to maintain the health of nerve cells and blood cells. Nerve cells receive signals from the brain which drives muscle function. If the firing of nerve cells is impeded, then this contributes to fatigue.  A lack of healthy red blood cells depletes the amount of oxygen being carried to your body’s tissues. These important cells cannot function optimally without vitamin B12, leaving you feeling weak and exhausted. Vitamin B12 also plays a crucial role in energy production—which affects the metabolism of every cell in the human body. Vitamin B12 supports the release of energy through enabling the body to properly utilize folic acid (folate).
What Causes Vitamin B12 Deficiency?
People who follow a vegan or plant-based diet are more at risk of developing a vitamin B12 deficiency, since they don’t consume meat, fish, poultry, and eggs—which contain naturally-occurring vitamin B12. Some medical conditions that affect your GI system, such as Crohn’s disease, can also prevent your body from absorbing Vitamin B12. People who undergo various bariatric surgery procedures, such as a gastric bypass or gastrectomy, are also at an increased risk of Vitamin B12 deficiency.
What is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?
Chronic fatigue syndrome is most common in people between the ages of 40 and 60, primarily in women. Symptoms often last longer (six months or more) and become more severe over time. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is different from chronic fatigue since it is often caused by other underlying health conditions—including viral infections, anemia, diabetes, generalized anxiety disorder, and weakened immune systems.
For most people, a primary cause of chronic fatigue syndrome is hormone imbalance stemming from the adrenal glands, pituitary gland, thyroid gland, or sex hormones.
What Causes Hormone Imbalance?
As we age, there are naturally changes in how body systems are controlled. As target tissues become less sensitive to their controlling hormone, the production of hormones also changes. Some hormone levels increase, some hormone levels decrease, and some remain the same. Hormonal metabolism also occurs at a slower rate.
Additional causes of hormone imbalance:
- Chemotherapy
- Pituitary tumors
- Other tumors, both cancerous and benign.
- Eating disorders
- Stress
- Medications
Traditional Hormone Replacement Therapy Risks:
Traditional hormone replacement therapy for men and women involves synthetic medications. They come in the form of pills, patches, gels, and intramuscular injections—depending upon the necessary levels of estrogen or testosterone. Unfortunately, using synthetic hormone replacement treatments has the potential in some people to cause dangerous side-effects, including nausea, acne, bloating, bleeding pattern changes, increased cholesterol levels, and an increased risk of some diseases and cancers.
How to Fix Hormone Imbalance Naturally:
Fixing hormone imbalance naturally is the safest modality for your body, no matter if it is due to age, other natural causes, or is related to external factors.
- Maintain a healthy gut
- Consume adequate amounts of protein
- Maintain a moderate weight
- Exercise regularly
- Decrease sugar intake
- Reduce stress levels
- Get enough sleep
- Eat healthy fats
Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy:
Some people deal with consistent hormone imbalance, no matter their diet and lifestyle changes. Without being able to balance their hormones comes the increased likelihood of developing chronic fatigue.
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, also known as BHRT, is an effective and all-natural hormone treatment option for men and women. Since BHRT is customized for the individual patient, most people experience minimal side-effects—if any at all.
BHRT involves plant-based pellets molecularly equivalent (aka the body sees as the same) as our own estrogen and testosterone without as many harmful side effects. If a person is determined to be a candidate, Nova Vita Wellness Centers uses the lab panel along with a customized dosing calculator to gather additional information concerning lifestyle and behavior habits, sleep patterns, stress factors, and hormonal influences to identify initial criteria.
We then create an individualized treatment plan to order customized pellets from a certified compounding pharmacy. The pellets are inserted into a person’s hip above the buttocks in a relatively painless procedure. The majority of people are fine to resume normal, daily activities immediately after the procedure. The BHRT pellets will deliver a consistent release of hormone levels over an extended period of time, typically between three and six months.
The slow, extended release of natural hormones is what makes BHRT more regulated than synthetic hormone treatments and provides relief over a longer period of time—potentially aiding people who are experiencing chronic fatigue syndrome.
In the event that you are not a candidate for BHRT, the comprehensive lab panels at Nova Vita provide an in-depth look at your body’s needs. Our healthcare professionals can discuss alternative wellness services which could aid in reducing your chronic fatigue symptoms.
