Medical App & Medical Advice with Hello Doctor

Tag: tiredness

Could you be suffering from burnout?

June 5th, 2020 by The Hello Doctor Team

Your alarm rings; it’s time to get ready for work. But that’s the last thing you feel like doing. You’re strung out and even the thought of facing your day is just too much. Is this just normal stress, or could it be burnout?

Think of burnout as a car running out of petrol, and the engine giving out. This is your body, packing up, giving out, and yelling, “Emergency!” It’s a state of physical and emotional exhaustion, as a result of long-term stress. Unlike normal stress, burnout doesn’t allow you to leave the negative feelings behind once you leave work and head home. It spills into every part of your life, leaving you drained.

Although burnout can be difficult to spot, there are a few warning signs.

  • Taking your frustrations out on others
  • Isolating yourself
  • Procrastinating
  • Skipping work and other responsibilities
  • Feeling trapped and helpless
  • Having a cynical and negative outlook on life
  • Feeling tired and drained most of the time
  • A sense of failure and constantly doubting yourself
  • A change in appetite
  • A loss of motivation

Get back on track

Burnout is not a permanent condition, and making a few changes in your everyday life can help you climb out of the rut.

Get some balance

If you’re constantly working overtime and find yourself practically living at work, it would make sense that you’d feel frustrated and worn out. Find a healthy balance between your work and social life, and make time to do things that you enjoy like hobbies or spending time with friends.

Relax

Try some new ways of relaxing which will ease stress from both your body and mind. You can try yoga, meditation and even deep breathing which will activate your body’s relaxation response.

Avoid negative people

If you’re burnt out, you’ll have a negative outlook on most things. Try to surround yourself with positive people who will help lift your spirits. In cases where you can’t avoid negative people, such as challenging family members, be proactive about not getting caught up in the toxicity. Limit your time with them, choose not to engage in drama, and simply walk away if it gets too much.

Catch some Z’s

Nothing will help you to feel like yourself again like sleeping well. Quality sleep helps your overworked body and mind to heal, so aim for at least seven to eight hours of sleep every night. Try going to sleep and getting up at the same time every day, wind down by doing something relaxing, and invest in blackout curtains for a restful slumber.

Find value

A lack of motivation could be because you don’t see value in your work or personal life. Focus on the aspects of life that you do enjoy. This will help you find motivation and purpose again. For example, do you enjoy writing poetry in your spare time? Does painting make you feel relaxed? What makes you smile, even if it’s once in a blue moon? Focus on that thing and do more of that to make you smile more often.

Reset

For some of us, even these small tweaks aren’t enough to get your mind and body back to a healthy space. In these cases, you might need time off from work. A longer break, and even some sessions with a therapist could be just what you need! The main thing is to not go at it alone – reach out and ask for help: our doctors are available 24/7!

References:

Why do I have dark rings under my eyes?

January 5th, 2018 by The Hello Doctor Team

Eek! You have a date tonight and there are dark circles under your eyes… again. You’ve tried sleeping for eight hours every night, but this doesn’t seem to make any difference. What now?

A lot of people suffer from these dark rings. The dark rings are basically just the blood vessels underneath the eyes that are visible through the skin. The skin around the eyes are naturally very thin, so depending on hydration, blood flow and the colour and thickness of the skin, these dark rings may be more or less visible.

Lack sleep and too much alcohol are the two most common causes for these pesky rings. But if you’ve been getting enough shut-eye and keeping your drinks to a decent limit, there may be other causes to consider.

Panda-eye culprits

  • Genetics: If you’ve had dark circles under your eyes since you were a child, it’s possible you’ve inherited it.
  • Allergies: Your stuffy nose could be causing more harm than you think. Nasal congestion can affect the skin under your eyes when it dilates the blood vessels that drain that area.
  • Too much sleep: It’s not just a lack of sleep that’s an issue. Oversleeping can cause the blood vessels in the eye area dilate, making the dark colour noticeable.
  • Iron deficiency: A lack of iron can prevent blood from carrying enough oxygen to your eye tissues.
  • Stress: If you’re often stressed, your dark circles appear more visible. This is because more blood is directed to your main organs, leaving your face looking pasty and drained.
  • Rubbing your eyes: The most sensitive part of your face is under your eyes. Rubbing may cause the capillaries around your eyes to break or leak, leaving you with bruise-like shadows.

Lighten up  

  1. Place a cold washcloth or a bag of frozen vegetables underneath your eyes to constrict blood vessels and help with the dark circles.
  2. Elevate your head with an extra pillow in bed. This helps stop too much blood from collecting in the blood vessels under the skin around your eyes.
  3. Up your intake of Vitamin C and other antioxidants. These nutrients and vitamins help fight off free radicals (unstable molecules that damage cells) which cause your skin to become thinner and see-through.
  4. Don’t neglect the under eye skin during your beauty routine. Gently, cleanse, tone and moisturise that area regularly.
  5. If all else fails, try beauty products (like a good concealer) to mask the problem area.

Good to know

  • Wear sunglasses when you’re outside. The sun can also cause dark circles underneath your eyes.
  • Beauty products which contain alpha hydroxy acids help to thicken the skin around your eyes, making dark circles less visible.
  • Too much salt in your diet cause water to accumulate throughout your body, including your eyes, which could potentially cause dark circles.

References

What does it mean when you have anaemia?

December 8th, 2017 by The Hello Doctor Team

Iron plays an important role in your body. It is one of the key element in your red blood cells – the microscopic sized cells that store and carry oxygen to all parts of the body. A shortage of iron in your body is called anaemia.

Anaemia is most common in:

  • preschool children
  • women in their reproductive years
  • pregnant women.

It’s less common in men. According to a 2015 study from the University of Potsdam in Germany, the condition affects roughly 1 out of 3 people worldwide!

How anaemia happens

Anaemia is sign that your health is not at its best and you’re not getting enough good nutrition. The reduced number of red blood cells means that your organs and tissues don’t get enough oxygen. It may also be caused by a diet that’s lacking in iron, folic acid (folate) or Vitamin B12.

Symptoms of anaemia

  • Fatigue
  • Weakness
  • Light-headedness
  • Headaches
  • Heart palpitations
  • An altered taste
  • Tinnitus (ringing of ears)
  • Pale skin, tongue, and gums.

Causes of anaemia

  • Menstrual periods. If you have a particularly heavy flow, you can develop anaemia. The amount of iron in your diet may not be enough to replace the amount you lose during your periods.
  • Some pregnant women need iron supplements or may need to increase the amount of iron in their diet. Your body needs extra iron to ensure that there’s enough blood flow, necessary oxygen and nutrients for the health of your baby.
  • Poor absorption of iron. An intestinal disorder like celiac disease affects your intestine’s ability to absorb nutrients from digested food. This can lead to anaemia.
  • Blood loss from the gut. This is the most common cause of iron deficiency in men. It’s also common in women who’ve gone through menopause. Some gut conditions can cause a lot of bleeding that can lead to anaemia. You may not be aware of this as it can be a slow or irregular process. You can pass blood out with your stools without noticing either.
  • Poor nutrition. This happens when your diet doesn’t contain enough iron for your red blood cells to function properly.

I’m anaemic, now what?

Your doctor will diagnose your condition with the help of tests, medical and family history. At times, anaemia symptoms aren’t clear or present, so your doctor might find out you have anaemia when he/she is testing for other conditions. Once you’ve been diagnosed, you have a few treatment options. These include:

  • Eating iron-rich foods like red meat, chicken, pork, seafood, beans, spinach, apricots and raisins. You’ll also need to bone up on Vitamin C (tomatoes, oranges, peppers and strawberries) to help your body absorb the iron properly.
  • Cleaning your spleen. Your spleen oversees producing red blood cells and keeping fluids in your system. Do this by avoiding sugar for a while, going easy on alcohol, cutting out nicotine and reducing your intake of vegetable oils. Eat clean.
  • Taking supplements: Iron and Vitamin B complex are known to support your blood cells.
  • Reducing stress levels: Stress can decrease your body’s productivity and exhaust your organs.

If you still have questions about anaemia, or you are worried that you might be suffering from it, why not ask one of our doctors?

References:

What does it mean to be dehydrated?

November 16th, 2017 by The Hello Doctor Team

Amazingly, your body is made up of 2/3 water! It’s essential for many processes in your body, from lubricating your eyes and joints, to aiding digestion, flushing waste and keeping skin supple and healthy.

But when the normal water content in your body is reduced, it upsets the delicate balance of minerals, which has a huge effect on how your body functions. Usually, your body re-absorbs fluid from your blood and other tissues if it needs, but by the time severe dehydration sets in, there’s no longer enough fluid to get blood to your organs. This sends you into shock, which can be life-threatening unless you get emergency medical treatment.

What Causes Dehydration?

Simply put, dehydration happens when you lose more fluid than you take in. Fluids are lost through sweat, vomiting, tears, urine or diarrhoea, and the severity of it depends on factors such as climate, levels of physical activity, and diet.
Conditions such as gastroenteritis and diabetes can also contribute to dehydration, and age is another important factor. Young children are often at high risk of dehydration, and can become dehydrated very quickly, as their bodies metabolise faster than adults.

What are the Symptoms of Dehydration?

Thirst is the first symptom of dehydration, and other symptoms include:

  • Headache
  • Dizziness
  • Tiredness
  • Dry eyes, mouth and lips
  • Concentrated, dark yellow urine
  • Urinating less than 3 or 4 times a day

If mild dehydration isn’t treated, it can quickly lead to severe dehydration – which requires emergency medical treatment or it can be fatal. Symptoms of severe dehydration include:

  • Inability to urinate
  • Dry, wrinkled skin that sags slowly into position when pinched up
  • Sunken eyes
  • Low blood pressure
  • A weak or rapid heartbeat
  • Cool hands and feet
  • Seizures
  • Extreme fatigue, irritability or confusion

What’s the best way to treat mild dehydration?

In adults: Drink plenty of fluids! Water, diluted fruit juice and oral rehydration solution are all good options, and salty snacks can also help to replace lost salts.

In babies and young children: Avoid giving them plain water as the main replacement fluid, as it can further dilute minerals in the body. Stick to oral rehydration solution or diluted fruit juice. If they’re struggling to hold down fluids due to vomiting or diarrhoea, give small amounts more often. It can also be easier to administer fluids to young children with a spoon or syringe.

How can I prevent dehydration?

Drink enough fluids throughout the day! Aim for 1.5 – 2 litres of water, diluted fruit juice and tea to help maintain a healthy balance.
Sources: Mayo Clinic, WebMD.com, NHS.uk

Is your thyroid making you tired?

March 19th, 2017 by The Hello Doctor Team

Can’t keep your eyes open? Feeling heavy-headed? Energy completely zapped? Your thyroid may be the problem.

The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland in the front of your neck, just under your voice box. It produces hormones that impact just about every organ, tissue and cell in your body, and controls many vital functions. These include the regulation of your body temperature, metabolism, growth and development, and muscle, brain and nervous system function.

When your thyroid isn’t working properly, your body will tell you – and bone-numbing fatigue is the most common sign.

Thyroid-related fatigue shows up when you can’t sustain energy for long enough, compared to a past level of fitness. It can develop gradually or suddenly.

Main symptoms include:

  • Feeling like you don’t have the energy to do things you were once able to do.
  • Feeling completely exhausted, no matter how much you sleep.
  • Difficulty getting up in the morning.
  • Falling asleep during the day.
  • Feeling as if you can’t get through the day without a nap.
  • A heavy or tired head.

If you’re experiencing these symptoms, chances are you have an underactive thyroid.

An under-active thyroid (hypothyroidism) happens when your thyroid produces too little thyroid hormone. It’s often caused by an autoimmune condition, in which the immune system sees the thyroid gland as an “intruder”. The body makes antibodies that attack the thyroid gland, causing it to become underactive.

As the thyroid hormone controls the way your body uses energy, a drop in this essential hormone could lower your energy levels. Many of the body’s functions slow down, and you feel weak and tired.

If untreated, hypothyroidism can raise your cholesterol levels and increase your risk for heart disease, heart attack and stroke. It can also lead to infertility and osteoporosis.

Treatment
Fortunately, hypothyroidism (and the fatigue that comes with it) is easy to treat. Your doctor may prescribe thyroid replacement medication to restore the missing thyroid hormone in your body. These medications work fairly quickly, but you’ll probably need to take them for the rest of your life. After a few weeks, you should notice:

  • Increased energy levels.
  • Improved mood and mental function.
  • Better pumping action of the heart.
  • Improved digestive tract function.
  • Lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

Energy boosters
No improvements after treatment? Still tired beyond measure? The problem may simply be sleep deprivation. Sleep easy and fight fatigue with these tips:

  • Aim for at least eight hours of sleep every night.
  • Keep your bedroom as dark, quiet and cool as possible.
  • Invest in a comfortable mattress and pillows.
  • Keep “sleep thieves” (TVs, tablets and computers) out of the bedroom.
  • Set consistent sleep and wake schedules, even over weekends.
  • Exercise regularly.
  • Stay hydrated.
  • Have your last meal at least three hours before bedtime.
  • Avoid caffeine or alcohol before bedtime.
  • Take control of stress.

References:

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