Are You Suffering From Hyperfatigue? It’s the New Epidemic, Experts Say, What to Look For… and When Doctors Advise You to Seek Help
Modern life can wear down the best of us. A survey by YouGov found that one in eight Britons are “living in a constant state of exhaustion” and a quarter feel tired most of the time.
Another survey found that 55% of us describe ourselves as “hyper-fatigued,” a phrase from a 2023 trends report from market research firm Mintel that is linked to consumers being bombarded with information. “The pandemic, rising costs of living, the energy crisis, geopolitical unrest and the climate crisis are taking their toll,” it warns.
But when does fatigue become a medical problem? And what can be done about it? Here are some questions to ask yourself…
WHAT IS FATIGUE?
Vincent Deary, professor of applied health psychology at Northumbria University and author of How We Break: Navigating the Wear and Tear of Living, explains: “We can think of fatigue as a physical, emotional and/or mental response to too much demand or reduced capacity. It’s a signal that things are too difficult.”
Fatigue is different from weariness, which usually disappears with sleep, and is considered a physical, emotional and/or mental response to excessive demand or reduced capacity.
GPs prefer the term ‘TATT’, or ‘tired all the time’, rather than ‘hyperfatigue’, says David Strain, associate professor of cardiometabolic health at the University of Exeter Medical School.
This can be caused by a variety of factors, ranging from lifestyle issues to serious health conditions.
ARE YOU TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF?
To avoid fatigue, first make sure you eat regularly, drink enough water, exercise regularly, get enough sleep and keep stress to a minimum.
The NHS recommends reducing alcohol consumption, particularly before bed, and ideally avoiding caffeine seven hours before sleep.
The study also warns that obesity could cause long-term fatigue by putting “extra strain on your heart, which can make you feel tired. Lose weight and you’ll feel much more energetic.”
WHEN DOES IT BECOME A MEDICAL PROBLEM?
According to expert Karin Orman, sufferers can feel a burst of energy and then be “exhausted for days.”
Fatigue is different from tiredness, which usually goes away with sleep, says Karin Orman, of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists. “People who are tired may have bursts of energy, but then feel exhausted for hours or days.”
Professor Strain says that “if the phenomenon is constant, relentless and out of proportion to the activity, that’s when we start our investigations.”
Visit your GP, who may offer blood tests to try to rule out anaemia, vitamin deficiency (particularly vitamin B12), kidney disease, liver problems, an underactive thyroid and diabetes, all of which can cause fatigue. Your fatigue may also be due to ‘post-Covid-19 syndrome’: persistent symptoms of the infection that last for at least two months. Your GP can refer you to a clinic specialising in ‘long Covid’.
COULD THIS BE ME?
The cause of myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), also known as chronic fatigue syndrome, is unknown, but the most common symptom is extreme fatigue. It also causes sleep disturbances, trouble concentrating, and “post-exertional malaise,” where everyday activity leaves you feeling exhausted.
Professor David Strain says extreme fatigue is a common symptom of ME
Professor Strain explains: “For example, you will cook dinner for the family and then need to rest as if you had just run a marathon.”
Diagnosis is only made once other conditions have been ruled out. You may be referred to a specialist ME service, which can offer cognitive behavioural therapy, advice on how to use your energy best without making your symptoms worse, and medication to control pain or sleep problems.
Unfortunately, there is no cure, but treatments can help you manage the condition and relieve symptoms.
DO YOU PRIORITIZE JOY AND REST?
It’s also important to identify what makes you happy, says Professor Deary. “Look at the things that occupy your time. Are they nourishing you or are they draining you?”
You should also give yourself permission to rest. Professor Deary says one of the biggest obstacles he saw during his decade of working in a clinic treating fatigued patients was “people who believed that rest had to be earned, that rest was for the weak, or that ‘doing nothing’ was associated with guilt and shame.”
He adds: “Rest is not a luxury. The key is to find what works for you, whether it’s reading, nature, meditation, culture, gardening, walking, connecting with a friend, playing games or crafts.”
“What simple but essential activities make you better than they found you? Do more of them.”
