Hermann Aesthetics & Wellness Approach to Fatigue Tampa and St Pete
Fatigue can be caused by many things. We always perform a medical exam and make sure that the patient’s blood pressure, heart rate and temperature are normal. If the exam in normal, then these are things that we consider:
Low Thyroid: we check both a T3 and T4 as well as the standard TSH that most primary care physicians check. Often patients have a normal TSH but will feel fatigue with a low T3.
Anemia: Anemia means low blood count. Most doctors will not check iron levels if a patient does not have a low blood count. I will always check iron studies in a patient who complains of fatigue. I have found low iron in a large number of patients who do not technically have anemia.
Other Vitamin Deficiencies: We check B12, Folate and consider checking MTHFR which is a gene mutation that prevents us from using our B vitamins properly. We also check Vitamin D and we offer comprehensive panels of all the vitamin levels if we feel that the patient is not absorbing nutrients properly.
Hormones: Low testosterone in men and women will cause fatigue. I often check this on the initial visit if a patient complains of fatigue. Imbalances of estrogen and progesterone can also contribute to fatigue and I will order these if the patient has signs of hormone imbalance.
Sleep Apnea: If a patient does not get enough sleep, then of course, they will be tired. I always consider a sleep study in patients who snore or report frequent night time wakenings.
Adrenal Fatigue: This is the concept that the adrenal gland stops making adrenalin in a healthy pattern. We are supposed to make adrenalin in the am and less in the evening. Sometimes we live with so much stress, that the adrenal gland gets tired of pumping out adrenalin all day. Without our usual am “shot” of adrenalin, we often feel tired. I test for this with saliva samples
Infection: I consider chronic infections such as HIV, hepatitis, Epstien Barr Virus, Chronic Lyme and chronic yeast overgrowth in tired patients. Most of these can be checked with bloodwork.
Allergies: I often consider food allergies in patients who complain of fatigue and have gastrointestinal symptoms, such as gas and bloating. I also consider allergies if the patient has rashes or chronic sinus drainage.
Autoimmune disease: Most people with autoimmune disease feel very tired. I will often screen for autoimmune disorders such as Rheumatoid arthritis, sjogrens, or Lupus in a fatigued patient.
Depression: Mood disorders often cause fatigue and must be considered.
Medications: We always make sure that there is no medication that might cause sleepiness.
To discuss if you might suffer from one of these conditions that causes chronic fatigue, please contact:
Hermann Aesthetics & Wellness St. Petersburg or Tampa: (813) 902-9559
