Rheumatoid arthritis brings with it joint pain, muscle ache and it can even cause a person to become disabled. However, there’s another symptom that’s also difficult to deal with and that’s rheumatoid arthritis fatigue.
Rheumatoid arthritis is bad enough to deal with without having to worry about fatigue, yet this symptom is one of the most common for the disease. Rheumatoid arthritis fatigue is often the first sign that something’s wrong. It’s also typically the first sign of inflammation. It can make it hard to concentrate, and it can make it especially hard to deal with the pain.
The Causes
However, you should know that Rheumatoid arthritis fatigue may be caused by a number of things. These can include the aforementioned inflammation, overdoing some routine activities, medication side effects, stress, depression or it could be a combination of one or more of those things. It can also be caused by lack of sleep, poor nutrition or the lack of a good routine exercise program. Therefore, you should see your doctor if you think you may be experiencing Rheumatoid arthritis fatigue so that you can determine the cause.
Feeling Tired
When you feel tired all the time, it can lead to stress and depression. This does a number on your body because not only does it make you feel rundown, but your immune system will be less able to fight off infection and illness. That’s why it’s essential that you find the cause and then treat that cause so that you can get back to your normal self.
It should also be noted that Rheumatoid arthritis fatigue can be caused by environmental factors such as high noise levels, temperature and even daily stressors such as traffic, waiting in line, etc.
Treatment
The good news is that Rheumatoid arthritis fatigue due to inflammation is the easiest form of fatigue to correct. That’s because the protein molecules released due to Rheumatoid arthritis are the exact chemicals that are released when you have the common cold or the flue. Your doctor will treat this type of Rheumatoid arthritis fatigue by prescribing higher doses of drugs than is usually prescribed for inflammation. What happens is the inflammation decreases and the fatigue you feel will decrease soon thereafter.
Adjusting to Rheumatoid Arthritis Fatigue
The best thing you can do as a sufferer of Rheumatoid arthritis fatigue is be aware that your tiredness is a symptom of your disease and adjust your schedule accordingly. Rheumatoid arthritis fatigue is not a weakness, it is merely another symptom of your disease that you will have to deal with.
Tips For Dealing With Fatigue
However, you can try a few tips to decrease the effects of Rheumatoid arthritis fatigue. These include starting your day a few hours earlier, avoiding heavy meals, getting a good night’s sleep and saving your energy for activities that really matter.
Rheumatoid arthritis fatigue doesn’t have to get you down as long as you recognize it, deal with it, and see your doctor to see if there may be some other cause that’s making you feel run down.