Christmas is over for another year!
It would be good to think that everyone had a wonderful time, but realistically it will not be the case.
Many people experienced sadness as perhaps a loved one passed away, or many were experiencing some of the health issues which I mentioned in my last blog.
CHRISTMAS TIME:
However, many happy celebrations take place at Christmas time, with children being delighted with their long awaited gifts.
It is an event which is looked forward to, and gives an opportunity for families to meet up and exchange their news on what has been happening over the past year.
With suitably depleted budgets, we now start a new year.
Psychologically, a new year gives a chance for new beginnings. Wiping clean the slate of the previous year.
We used to be big on resolutions, but very few people actually see these promises through.
They are generally too ambitious, such as losing large amounts of weight, giving up alcohol and / or going to the gym.
CHANGES:
It is more sensible and have a much better chance of being successful, if changes are made gradually, in small steps and not necessarily at the beginning of a new year.
An individual has to be in the right mind set, which is easier said than done.
It may take a moment of realization that a change has to be made. It could be receiving negative medical health check results, or seeing a picture of one`s self which shows an overweight person
GOAL SETTING:
The next step requires some research into how goals are going to be set, and finally, activating the first goal.
In my last blog, I mentioned several infections which seem to have become apparent since Covid, and of course Covid itself is still very much around.
They may be short lived, but in most cases a debilitating fatigue creeps in, which can last for weeks and even longer.
WHAT IS FATIGUE?
The big question is what is causing this fatigue?
Over the festive period, almost everyone I spoke to had experienced it following a flu like infection.
For all our advances in medicine and surgery, as a nation, we are almost experiencing less good health than a century ago.
We have certainly eliminated many killer diseases through improvements in living conditions and vaccination programmes, such as for polio, smallpox and diphtheria, but we are now suffering from a different type of illness, which is almost certainly self inflicted.
Our bodies are so finely tuned, and most of us are blissfully unaware of how everything works.
There are endless cells which have specific jobs to do, and in order for them to work properly, they must be in balance with all the other groups and complex systems.
Unfortunately, due to our modern lifestyles, we have been cutting corners and finding shortcuts, which almost always includes some artificial or chemical intervention.
Traditionally, food was made from scratch. The basis was either animal, fish or plant based, and apart from seasoning and some other natural additives such as herbs, food was cooked, eaten and digested as such.
The appropriate cells in the digestive system sprang into action and the food was broken down, passed through and absorbed by the various organs.
Our fast life style has speeded up the whole cooking and eating experience.
CHEMICALS:
Chemicals are used to encourage growth of fruit and vegetables along with pesticides to kill insects. Animal feeding is often laced with chemicals to kill certain bacteria, and enhancers are added to give a longer life to food on supermarket shelves.
There has been a huge rise in ready made meals which although tasting very nice, are often full of chemical additives, salt and sugar.
I have only mentioned chemicals related to the food chain, but we are bombarded by chemicals from when we use shower gel in the morning along with toothpaste, plus cleaning materials and a host of sources to inhale, absorb and ingest.
These chemicals are foreign to the human body, and many of the cells do not know how to deal with them.
This starts an imbalance which upsets the efficient working of the body.
The immune system which is on constant patrol for any invaders to the body in the form of harmful bacteria or viruses, may be activated when confronted by these foreign bodies.
It may set up an inflammatory response when there is no need for one.
An inflammatory response is when the area under threat reacts by becoming painful, red and inflamed, due to the white blood cells banding together to ward off the intruder.
The body needs time to recover from an inflammatory response, as it leaves the body depleted whilst it replaces white cells.
If the body is being constantly bombarded by chemical foreign bodies causing "false alarms" to the immune system, it stands to reason that it will make the person tired and sluggish.
Because the immune system is compromised, it will be easier to pick up infections, but even more important, it will have been weakened and not having time to recover so will enter a fatigue mode.
It would seem that is what happens following some of the flu like viruses which are so common, and was also demonstrated with very virulent viruses such as the Epstein-Barr virus, and Covid itself, which the immune system finds difficult to attack.
MYSTERY:
Fatigue is still a bit of a mystery.
There had been little research done on it, the first important study being on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome at King`s College London.
However, since Covid, there has been such a marked increase in long Covid cases, which is severe fatigue following on from Covid, that further research is underway.
In many instances sufferers are so badly affected that their lifestyles are totally disrupted, and they can no longer work, or even carry out simple tasks of daily living.
It looks as if we carry on with our current lifestyles, fatigue like reactions to infections will follow.
Our immune system is such an important one, which screens out harmful bacteria and viruses which help our bodies stay healthy, and in the case of illness, helps the recovery phase.
It is vital to our well being and the efficiency of how well our body should operate.
Damaging the immune system leaves the way open for harmful bacteria and viruses to enter unchallenged, and subsequently allow all sorts of diseases to flourish, with quite possibly a permanent state of fatigue being present.
FATIGUE MANAGEMENT:
There are several ways to manage fatigue.
It can manifest itself in many ways, with joint and muscle pain, breathlessness, brain fog, sore throat, feeling unwell and a feeling of complete exhaustion which sleep does not help.
As the feeling is so debilitating, it brings with it a feeling of depression and hopelessness, which is hard to deal with.
Fatigue cannot be forced. Rest is crucial in the early stages, even although sleep does not necessarily help.
Progress can be slow, but without forcing one`s self, it is important to set small goals in order to move forward.
Diet is also important, considering there possibly could be a link between diet and the initial inflammatory response.
Small amounts of non processed food and plenty of suitable fluids such as plain water.
Finding positive things to do as brain will allow.
Screens are not helpful, as rays are omitted which can irritate the brain.
Avoid situations which bring on stress such as noisy or crowded places.
Getting out into the countryside, coastal areas or even a park, does wonders for the senses.
Having good support is an enormous help, but it is not possible for everyone to have it.
Education, by becoming familiar with how the body functions, the importance of diet and the involvement of medications are all useful, although it is good to have a variety of things to become involved in and not always health issues.
There is light at the end of the tunnel, all be it a long one for some.
The secret seems to be not to rush anything as recovery is a long process.
Often someone will feel guilty about being off work, and will push themselves, only to find that after a week or two they are back to square one.
Hopefully there will be a breakthrough in research which may shed light on why this epidemic of "fatigue" is amongst us, and perhaps new ways to manage it.
However, leaving fatigue aside, it seems like common sense to minimize the amount of chemicals that we subject ourselves to.
They are toxic and can only be harmful to us.
DISCLAIMER:
The blog refers to fatigue following a viral infection which includes long Covid.
Research is limited, but extensive information can be found online.
My interpretation of what I have read refers to my own lifestyle only, and should not be used as a form of management, although some aspects may be found to be helpful.
