Sickle cell disease has debilitating
effects on every aspect of a patient’s life, through their lives. Every part of
the body and aspect of life is affected. Blood moves in every part of the body.
Fatigue is one of the top three symptoms
of sickle cell disease that affected daily life. It is common among sickle cell patients. In warriors
fatigue is natural. The red blood cells life is short. Imagine you are doing a
work which would have been done by 10 people a lone. You will get tired easily,
that’s true. That’s what happens in the body of a person with sickle cell
disease when it’s trying to keep pace with the destruction of red blood cells. The
red blood cells in a person with sickle cell disease have a lifespan of 15-20
days and for a person without sickle cell they last for 120 days.
Fatigue is a significant effect facing many adults with sickle cell
disease. There are many experiences ranging from general daily tiredness to
episodic severe exhaustion. It can occur to the point of not being able to
move, and you need to sleep all day. Some fatigue episodes do not have a
consistent pattern and are not related to pain or hospitalizations.
In a number of
cases insomnia and other sleep difficulties contribute to fatigue. Vicious
cycle of insomnia further aggravates fatigue.
Think of a situation when you are feeling tired like a dead weight. Your
mind is racing but your body won’t cooperate. You feel your body want to rest
but sleep cannot come.
There are number
of remedies that can help us overcome fatigue without using drugs.
Prevent fatigue
The first remedy
is preventing fatigue is by avoiding it. When we were young they used to limit
us on the amount of play episodes we had. But when we grow up we tend to over
stretch our limit. You should know what much work for your body is. Also take
breaks during your activities.
Drink
enough Water
Drink more water
for better energy. Our bodies need a lot of water to stay hydrated. The more
our bodies get dehydrated the more they become fatigued. Sometimes you feel tired simply because you’re mildly dehydrated. Drinking
water is one of the easiest ways to hydrate your body. Drinking enough water a
day you’ll feel better before you know it.
Reduce
stress
It’s difficult to get completely over stress when you have
sickle cell disease. Stress triggering factors are many but it can be reduced. Stress
uses up a lot of energy. Try to introduce relaxing activities into your day.
This could be listening to music, reading or spending time with friends.
Whatever relaxes you will improve your energy.
Have a
right diet
A good way to keep up your energy through the day is to
eat regular meals. Eat fresh foods. The fresher your food is, the more
nutrients it will contain
Also eat fruits
and juice green vegetables, apples and berries. Raw honey every morning with a banana
will help you throughout the day. Oranges gives a burst of energy.
Food Supplement
If you’re not
getting everything you need from your food, you may want to consider taking a
daily vitamin. Consulting with a nutritionist or homeopathic doctor could get
you started on a nutritional supplement regiment. Make sure to talk to your
doctor about any and all nutritional supplements you’re considering.
I have found
out that exercising regularly, breathing and mediation very helpful in
combating fatigue.
Most warriors experience
fatigue whether young or adult. Some have gone ahead to believe that sickle
cell disease and fatigue are twins. Fatigue happens at any time of the day. To
some people they can get fatigued even when they have done nothing. You can
even get fatigued while eating.
Do you experience
fatigue? At what time of the day and remedies do you use to overcome it? Please
share with us your views in the comments section.
Love Life!
Ssebandeke Ashiraf
Great blog! informative and inspiring :)
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