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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staffNearly everyone struggles with being overtired or overworked from time to time. Such instances of temporary fatigue usually have an identifiable cause and a likely remedy.
Chronic fatigue, on the other hand, lasts longer and is more profound. It's a nearly constant state of weariness that develops over time and diminishes your energy and mental capacity. Fatigue at this level impacts your emotional and psychological well-being, too.
Fatigue isn't the same thing as sleepiness, although it's often accompanied by a desire to sleep — and a lack of motivation to do anything else.
In some cases, fatigue is a symptom of an underlying medical problem that requires medical treatment. Most of the time, however, fatigue can be traced to one or more of your habits or routines. Chances are you know what's causing your fatigue. And with a few simple lifestyle changes, it's likely that you have the power to put the vitality back in your life.
- LeGrand SB. Fatigue. In: Walsh D, et al. Palliative Medicine. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/205836455-3/0/2038/166.html?tocnode=57251146&fromURL=166.html#4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05674-8..50165-1_2909. Accessed June 15, 2010.
- Gonzales R, et al. Common symptoms. In: McPhee SJ, et al. Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment 2010. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2010. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=193. Accessed June 15, 2010.
- Rosenthal TC, et al. Fatigue: An overview. American Family Physician. 2008;78:1173.
- LeBlond RF, et al. Non-regional systems and diseases. In: LeBlond RF, et al. DeGowin's Diagnostic Examination. 9th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2009. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=3659313. Accessed June 15, 2010.
- Fosnocht KM, et al. Approach to the adult patient with fatigue. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 16, 2010.
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