Seeking Professional Help: When and How to Consult a Healthcare Provider for Fatigue

Are you feeling fatigued constantly every day? It may not be a sign of general tiredness but something else which requires your attention. Fatigue is a sign that you lack energy consistently which stops you from completing your tasks and activities. It is caused by many factors and some of them are severe medical conditions that require medical attention. Learn about the signs when you seek professional or emergency care in this article. Visit the best Mental Health Clinic in Brooklyn at Doral Health & Wellness or log on to www.doralhw.org.

Difference between tiredness and fatigue

While both words are used interchangeably, tiredness and fatigue are different.

Tiredness means feeling sleepy because you’re not able to sleep at night and want to nod off, which lowers your energy level the next day. In contrast, fatigue means you lack energy consistently. Fatigue can be caused by a combination of medical causes, lifestyle-related, psychological, and workplace-related causes. This means tiredness is a common sign of lack of sleep, but fatigue can be a sign caused by many factors that can even be related to severe conditions if they happen consistently.

The problem with fatigue and tiredness is it’s too difficult to figure out if the patient is experiencing constant fatigue or only normal tiredness. In general, normal fatigue gets better when you get enough rest from the task or activity which makes you feel fatigued. However, if your fatigue regularly stops you from doing things you want to do, then you should seek medical help.

Is it ever normal to feel fatigued every day?

While it’s perfectly normal to feel a longing to get on your bed at the end of a hectic workday. But if you feel significantly tired daily and this starts to disrupt your daily life, it is not something normal. Experts say feeling significantly tired every day even in tough situations is not normal which means you need to seek help whenever you experience significant fatigue which interrupts your daily activities.

Signs it’s time to seek medical help for fatigue

In some cases, your fatigue can be a symptom of a health problem that requires medical attention. If you have chronic fatigue that’s not getting better with extra rest or lifestyle changes, then it’s a sign of something else. Over time it can affect your concentration, motivation, and emotional well-being.

You should seek medical help if your fatigue lasts for many weeks and is accompanied by:

  • Insomnia
  • Snoring
  • Unexplained weight loss or gain
  • Unexplained weakness
  • Frequent interruption while sleeping.
  • Depression, anxiety, or severe stress
  • Experiencing a combination of constipation, dry skin, weight gain, and feeling cold all the time.
  • Frequent headaches

Keep in mind, when you visit your doctor, make a list of all the prescribed or over-the-counter medications, and supplements you take. Sometimes, drugs and over-the-counter products are the reason for disrupted sleep which causes fatigue. Drowsiness is a sign that is often mistaken for fatigue, which is a common side effect of medications.

So, if you’re taking any prescription medicine that can cause fatigue, then you can ask your doctor about changing the time you take it, changing the dose, or switching to a different medicine. However, don’t stop taking the medicine without consulting with the doctor.

Why is it important to see a doctor about constant fatigue?

Constant fatigue requires medical attention because this type of exhaustion can come out of nowhere or doesn’t get better when you give time to your body to relax and catch up on sleep, especially, if it lasts longer than 6 months, then seeing your primary care doctor is a wise choice.

It can be a sign of an undiagnosed condition or the result of your lifestyle factors that need a change. The healthcare provider can tell you what the underlying cause of your fatigue is and give treatment or help you with what lifestyle factors need to change to remove fatigue.

When to seek emergency care/call 911?

You should seek emergency care or call 911 if your fatigue is accompanied by any of these other symptoms:

  • Blurry vision
  • Inability to urinate
  • Inability to wake another person
  • Recent weight gain or swelling
  • Thoughts of self-harm or suicide
  • Change in mental perspective like becoming a disoriented or confused person.

Fatigue is a sign that can occur from many factors, normally by physical exertion or mental stress. However, if your fatigue is not improved by relaxation time or extra sleep, it starts affecting your daily activities. Then, it’s time to seek professional help because you experience chronic fatigue caused by health issues that require treatment.

If you need help with your everyday fatigue, visit our primary healthcare doctor in Brooklyn for professional medical help. If you need help with your chronic fatigue, then come to us; our doctors make sure you get the medical services and consultation that remove your tiredness and boost your energy levels. For further inquiries, call us on +1-347-384-5690 to get a consultation. We have some of the finest experienced psychiatrist doctors who listen to your concerns, examine your symptoms, and create a treatment plan to improve your condition as soon as possible. If you need help learning coping methods, register your information and make direct contact with our doctors and psychiatrists to learn those methods, log on to www.doralw.org. Visit us at 1797 Pitkin Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11212.