Fatigue is a daily lack of energy; unusual or excessive 'whole-body'
tiredness which is not relieved by sleep. It can be acute or chronic
(lasting six months or longer). Fatigue can and often does prevent a
person from functioning normally and can severely affect quality of
life.
Fatigue v's Tiredness
Fatigue is not the same thing as tiredness. Everyone experiences
tiredness, and rest or a decent night's sleep will alleviate it. Fatigue
is a different beast altogether and is not alleviated by sleep. Resting
can help to temporarily lessen fatigue but it does not alleviate
it, which is an important difference between fatigue and tiredness.
Fatigue and Multiple Sclerosis
Fatigue is probably the most common symptom experienced by
people who have multiple sclerosis. 85% of people with multiple sclerosis
experience fatigue, many for the entire course of the disease.
While the cause of multiple sclerosis related fatigue remains as
yet unknown, it has particular characteristics which make it different
from other types of fatigue, for example fatigue from depression.
Multiple sclerosis (ms) related fatigue: |
| Fatigue related to multiple sclerosis can cause an overwhelming
tiredness which does not lift and can often cause other symptoms such
as visual disturbance, difficulties with concentration, memory, mobility
and muscle spasms to become worse. In multiple sclerosis, there are
actually two types of fatigue: primary fatigue and secondary
fatigue.
Primary fatigue is experienced as a direct result of damage
to the central nervous system. This can manifest as lassitude,
which is an overwhelming tiredness not directly related to physical
activity or exertion; heat sensitivity fatigue, which is caused
by a rise in body temperature; or 'localized' fatigue, which
is extreme tiredness of a muscle group after only a short period of
use, such as when writing or walking.
Secondary fatigue is fatigue which may not be directly related
to multiple sclerosis itself but by other factors which may be connected
to multiple sclerosis such as depression.
Secondary fatigue may be caused by sleep disturbance, for
example, from having to go to the bathroom during the night; depression,
which is common in multiple sclerosis and which also causes fatigue;
exertion, even for a short period of time; medications
which may cause drowsiness as a side effect; or other factors
such as environmental temperature causing a temporary rise in body temperature.
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