Lethargy: Causes and how to combat - Medical News Today

Lethargy refers to a sense of fatigue and a lack of both mental and physical energy and motivation. A person with lethargy may feel unmotivated ... WhattoknowaboutlethargyMedicallyreviewedbyStacySampson,D.O.—WrittenbyJonJohnsononAugust28,2020DefinitionCausesSymptomsPreventionTreatmentSeeingadoctorSummaryLethargyisageneralstateoffatiguethatinvolvesalackofenergyandmotivationforphysicalandmentaltasks.Somesimplecauses,suchasoverexertionornotgettingenoughsleep,canleaveapersonfeelinglethargic.Inothercases,anunderlyinghealthconditionmaycauselong-termlethargyandfatigue.Itmaybenecessarytoseeadoctortodeterminethecauseoflethargyifitlastsforalongerperiodoftime.Gettingafulldiagnosiscanhelpidentifyanyunderlyingissuesandworktowardtreatment.Keepreadingtolearnmoreaboutthepossiblecausesoflethargy,howtotreatthem,andwhentoseeadoctor.Whatislethargy? ShareonPinterestLethargyreferstoastateoffatigueandlowenergythatcanpreventapersonfromdoingdailytasks.Lethargyreferstoasenseoffatigueandalackofbothmentalandphysicalenergyandmotivation.Apersonwithlethargymayfeelunmotivatedorhaveanindifferentattitudetowardtheirdailyactivities.Theymayfeelasthoughtheyarewalkingaroundinahazeorconstantstateofbrainfoganddonothavetheenergytocompletetheirnormaltasks.CausesThereareanumberofpotentialcausesoflethargy,rangingfromatemporarystateoffatiguetoachronichealthcondition.Lethargyisasubjectivesymptom,meaningthatindividualpeoplewillmeasureanddescribeitdifferently.Becauseofthis,thereisnoconcretewaytotestforthesymptom.Thesectionsbelowlistsomefactorsandconditionsthatmayleadtoapersonfeelinglethargic.OverexertionOverexertionmaybeasimplecauseoflethargy.Apersonwhooverexertsthemselvesphysicallymayfeelasthoughtheyhavedrainedtheirenergystores,leadingtoalow,sluggishstateastheyrecover.Somecausesofoverexertionmayinclude:completingverystrenuousworkoutswalkingorhikinggreatdistancesspendinglotsoftimeinthesunworkinglonghoursdoingrepetitivetasksManyothercommonissuesmayleadtoshort-termoverexertionandlethargy.Thisisarelativelystraightforwardcause,anditiseasyformanypeopletotellwhentheyareoverexerted.Resting,stayinghydrated,andeatingwellcanhelpthepersonrecover.StressHighstressenvironmentsmaycauseapersontofeeldrainedandlethargic.Thismayincludehavingaphysicallyormentallydemandingjoborstressfullivingsituation.Peoplewithdepressionandanxietydisordersmayalsoexperiencelethargy.InjurySomeacuteinjuriesmaycauselethargy,asthebodyusesitsenergytohealtheinjury.Forinstance,peoplewhobreakabonemayfindthattheyaremuchlessactiveandmorelethargicastheboneheals.AlackofexerciseAlthoughaveryintenseworkoutmayleaveapersonfeelingdrainedorlethargicthenextday,anoveralllackofexercisemayalsocausesimilarsymptoms.People,especiallyolderadults,whogetlittletonoexercisemaybecomeeasilywindedorfatigued.Overtime,everydayeventsmayleadtooverexertionandlethargy.DrugoralcoholuseTheuseofcertainsubstances—includingcannabis,alcohol,andnarcoticdrugs—mayalsoleadtofeelingsoflethargy.Thismaybeduetothewayeachindividualdrugactsinthebodyorotherfactorssurroundingdruguse,suchasalackofsleeporpropernutrition.AlackofsleepAtemporarylackofsleepordifficultygettingtosleepmaycauselethargythenextday.Apersonwhodoesnotsleepenoughorhasaseverelackofsleepmaynoticethattheyfeelverysluggishandlethargicthenextday.Withoutproperrest,thebodymaynothaveenoughtimetorecuperate,leadingtolowerenergylevelsthenextday.ToomuchsleepOntheotherhand,oversleepingmayalsocausesimilarfeelingsoflethargy.Thismayhavetodowiththebody’snaturalsleepandwakecycle.Sleepingtoomuchmaycauseadisruptioninthesecycles,whichmayleadtolethargyovertime.MedicationsSeveralmedicationsmayresultinalackofenergyorfeelingsofindifference.Somepeoplemaybemoresensitivetotheseeffects.Anyonetakingamedicationthatcausesthemtoexperiencelethargyasasideeffectshouldtalktotheirdoctor.Somesideeffectsaretemporaryasthebodygetsusedtoamedication.Inothercases,thedoctormaywanttolowerthedosageorsuggestachangeofmedication.OtherunderlyingconditionsandtreatmentsAnumberofunderlyingphysicalandmentalhealthconditionsmayinvolvefeelingsoflethargyandfatigue,including:depressionpostpartumdepressioncardiovasculardiseasegriefandlifetraumahyperthyroidismhypothyroidismrheumatoidarthritischronicpainconditions,suchasfibromyalgiainsomniabraininjurieskidneyorliverfailureautoimmuneconditionssleepapneamedicaltreatmentsforsurgerycancertreatments,suchaschemotherapyandradiationtherapyanemiarecoveryfromastrokeorheartattackchronicfatiguesyndromeSymptomsSymptomsoflethargyinvolvefeelingsloworsluggishinboththebodyandbrain.Morespecifically,theymayinclude:decreasedalertnessdifficultythinkingfatiguelowphysicalenergysluggishnessalossofmotivationchangesinmoodanindifferentorapatheticattitudebrainfogsleepingtoomuchPreventionPreventinglethargymaynotbepossibleineverycase,butingeneral,therearesomethingsapersoncandotohavemoreenergyandstaymotivatedeachday.Theseinclude:gettingenoughsleepeachnight(butnotoversleeping)avoidingoverexertionbycontrollingworkoutsandtimingoutdooractivitieseatingavaried,well-balanceddietthatcontainsplentyoffruitsandvegetablesavoidingsugaryfoodsthatmaycauseanenergycrashavoidinghighcaffeinedrinksandotherenergydrinks,whichmaycauseadropinenergyafterafewhoursgoingtobedataboutthesametimeeachnightwindingdownbeforebed,suchasspendingtimeawayfromscreensanddoingcalmingactivitiesOthertipsforpreventinglethargywilldependonaperson’slifestyleandriskfactors.Iflethargyistheresultofanunderlyinghealthcondition,takingmeasurestotreatitwillalsohelppreventfeelingsoflethargy.TreatmentTreatmentforlethargywilldependontheunderlyingcauseandcanvarygreatlyfrompersontoperson.Simplecauses,suchasoverexertion,mayonlyrequireresting,stayinghydrated,andeatingwell.Treatmentforchroniclethargylinkedtoanunderlyinghealthconditionwillfocusontreatingtheconditiontoseeanimprovementinsymptoms.WhentoseeadoctorLethargycanbefrustratingandleaveapersonfeelingdrained.However,itisnottypicallyasignthatapersonneedsimmediatemedicalattention.Restandpropernutritioncanhelpapersonrecoverfrommanycasesofacutelethargy.Inthecaseoflongerlastinglethargy,apersonshouldseeadoctor.Theremaybeanunderlyinghealthconditionthatadoctorcanhelpidentifyandtreat.Itisagoodideatopayattentiontoothersymptoms,too,asthesemayhelpthedoctoridentifypotentialcausesandcomplications.Thiscanleadtoearliertreatment.Peoplewhoexperiencesudden,severesymptomsneedimmediatemedicalattention.Someconcerningsymptomsmayinclude:faintingshortnessofbreathpale,clammyskinrapidbreathingandheartrateseverepainslurredspeechordifficultyspeakingdifficultycontrollingthefacialmusclesdifficultymovingthearmsandlegsThesemaybesymptomsofsomethingserious.Iflethargycauseschangesinmoodthatleadtosuicidalthoughts,apersonneedsurgentmedicalcare.SummaryLethargyreferstoastateoffatigueandlowenergy.Apersonexperiencinglethargymaynothavetheenergyormotivationtodothetaskstheyneedtoeachday.Thereareanumberofpossiblecausesoflethargy,rangingfromoccasionaloverexertiontounderlyinghealthconditions.Anyoneexperiencingchronicsymptomsoflethargyshouldtalktoadoctororhealthcareproviderforafulldiagnosisandtodiscusstreatmentoptions.LastmedicallyreviewedonAugust28,2020PublicHealthAnxiety/StressSleep/SleepDisorders/InsomniaSportsMedicine/FitnessMedicallyreviewedbyStacySampson,D.O.—WrittenbyJonJohnsononAugust28,2020LatestnewsLongCOVID:Couldantiplatelettherapyhelp?'Newnormal:'WhatshouldtheUSstrategybeforCOVID-19?COVID-19:mRNAboostervaccineoffersbestprotectionagainstOmicronNewbiomarkermayhelpimprovedepressiontreatmentDementiacasessettotripleby2050RelatedCoverageWhatisdecisionfatigue?MedicallyreviewedbyMarneyA.White,PhD,MSDecisionfatigueistheideathataftermakingmanydecisions,aperson’sabilitytomakeadditionaldecisionsbecomesworse.Learnmoreaboutithere.READMOREWhatischronicstressandwhatareitscommonhealthimpacts?MedicallyreviewedbyAviVarma,MD,MPH,AAHIVS,FAAFPStressisabiologicalresponsetodemandingsituationsandaregularpartofdailylife.Stressbecomeschronicwhenthebody’sresponsegoesonfor…READMOREWhatismentalhealth?MedicallyreviewedbyTimothyJ.Legg,PhD,PsyDMentalhealthreferstopeople'scognitive,behavioral,andemotionalwell-being.Wedefinementalhealthandexplainthedifferentdisordersthatmay…READMOREWhydoesdepressionmakeyoufeeltired?MedicallyreviewedbyJenniferLitner,LMFT,CSTFatigueisasymptomofdepression,anditcanalsomakedepressionworse.Learnaboutthelinkbetweendepressionfatigueanddiet,sleep,exercise…READMORE