What Causes Chronic Fatigue?
Chronic fatigue syndrome is more than just feeling tired. It’s a persistent, long-term lack of energy for even everyday tasks, and doesn’t get better with rest. Other chronic fatigue symptoms include immune dysregulation, digestive problems, cognitive impairment, and muscle and joint pain.
To start reducing the severity of chronic fatigue, we must first find the underlying causes and address them. Read on to learn about how the causes go far beyond bad genes or bad luck.
Chronic Infections
Perhaps your chronic fatigue symptoms started with an infection, and never went away. Chronic fatigue syndrome has been linked with a number of infections, in particular Epstein-Barr virus (mono, or the “kissing disease”), cytomegalovirus, some herpes viruses, enteroviruses, and Lyme disease.
Some of these, such as Epstein-Barr virus, hide inside immune cells once the acute infection is over. EBV and other infections may also cause chronic fatigue by a hit-and-run approach, where they cause long-term damage before being cleared. In either case, the increase in inflammation, altered immune responses, and the similarities between the infection and cells of your own body can lead to chronic fatigue syndrome.
Toxin Overload
There have been tens of thousands of man-made chemicals released into the environment since the start of the 20th century. Chronic fatigue syndrome appears to be one consequence of this pollution. Pesticides, heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants (POPs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and mold may contribute to the immune dysregulation, neurological damage, and impaired energy production seen in chronic fatigue.
Environmental toxins work in several ways that are relevant to chronic fatigue. Some increase oxidative stress, which in turn disrupts the immune system and can damage brain and nerve cells. Oxidative stress may also raise sensitivity to pain, and chronic pain often appears alongside fatigue. Others, such as pesticides, can interfere with any number of enzymes that control biochemical reactions involved in energy production, neurotransmitter regulation, tissue repair, and more. Others still may dysregulate your gut microbiome and shift its populations towards a more inflammatory makeup.
Hormonal Dysfunction
You may feel as though you’re constantly stressed, but did you know that a lack of stress hormones can contribute to chronic fatigue syndrome? Research shows that chronic fatigue syndrome is associated with lower cortisol, the main stress hormone that’s also responsible for waking us up in the morning. Its energy-lifting effects help a healthy person bounce out of bed, but someone with fatigue may feel like they just can’t get up.
A stress hormone deficiency may in fact develop from their long-term excessive production. Chronic stress first keeps cortisol levels elevated for long periods, which can lower the body’s production of their receptors. On the other hand, your cells that produce cortisol may become exhausted and unable to respond to factors that once stimulated them. Holistic treatment often focuses on supporting their return to function, and may increase cortisol to give them a rest.
Mitochondrial Dysfunction
The mitochondria are the powerhouses of your cells. They produce over 90% of your cellular energy, making them absolutely indispensable, and their dysfunction may contribute to chronic fatigue syndrome. Inflammation can disrupt mitochondrial function, and some theorise that this happens to force us to rest in cases of acute infection.
Fortunately, studies also show that supplements able to boost mitochondrial function may be helpful in chronic fatigue syndrome. For example, acetyl-l-carnitine can significantly relieve muscle pain, fatigue after exercise, mental fatigue, and poor cognitive function. Acetyl-l-carnitine shuttles fatty acids into cells, which allows the mitochondria to use them as an energy source.
Many nutrient deficiencies can contribute to chronic fatigue through affecting the mitochondria. B vitamins, magnesium, CoQ10, and more may effectively relieve the condition, at least as long as you were deficient in them to begin with. Magnesium is another nutrient that can work, but only for people who have a magnesium deficiency – which is most people. In other cases, a combination of nutrients is often best. CoQ10 and NADH, a derivative of vitamin B3 used for energy production, have significantly relieved chronic fatigue in some patients when used together.
Taking the mystery out of chronic fatigue is the first step in finding relief. Chronic infection, environmental toxins, hormonal dysfunction, and mitochondrial problems can all cause or contribute to the syndrome. Holistic treatment options are based on which of these causes are most likely relevant for you, and the best plan is one that’s unique to you, the individual.