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Causes of Fatigue
Though fatigue can be one of the more frustrating symptoms of menopause, as it influences a woman´s ability to deal with all the other symptoms and issues that arise during a typical day, the good news is that it is also extremely common and certainly treatable. The important part is to first understand what causes fatigue during menopause, and then it is possible to go straight to the source and say goodbye to fatigue and hello to renewed energy levels.
The primary cause of fatigue in middle aged women is hormones, though there are certain exceptions to this rule. Keep reading to learn more about the mechanism of these hormonal causes, as well as the other possibilities, and gain control over this frustrating symptom.
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Hormonal Causes
In the case of women going through the menopausal transition, most fatigue's will be caused by the fluctuations in hormones that are customary to this time period.
Estrogen and progesterone, two of the hormones most influenced by menopause, play a key role in sleep functions and thus when they are thrown out of balance, a woman´s sleep cycle is disturbed as well, leading to fatigue.
Estrogen increases rapid eye movement during sleep, which is an important reconstructive process in the body. Periods of REM sleep help the brain make sense of the day´s events through dreaming, refreshing the mind and giving one a clean slate in the morning. |
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Progesterone, by contrast, affects the part of the brain that causes a woman to feel "sleepy", and so as progesterone levels drop, she may have a greater difficulty falling asleep. This may manifest as insomnia, and lead to fatigue during the daytime.
Other hormones that are involved in this process include the thyroid and adrenal hormones, as well as melatonin. These all work at the cellular level to regulate energy levels, thus when the hormone levels naturally decrease during menopause, so does a woman´s energy. This is what leads to the feeling of persistent fatigue. |
With the drop of estrogen that occurs naturally with age, time spent in restorative REM sleep is lessened.
Progesterone regulates sleep induction. With the steep drop in progesterone levels between ages 35-50 in women, insomnia or other sleep disturbances are reported as a consequence.
In addition to the hormonal causes outlined above, though they may be the most likely suspects in menopausal women, there are a number of lifestyle related factors that can either lead to or aggravate previously existing fatigue.
A host of other diseases may lead to fatigue as well.
Keep reading to learn more about these other possibilities, as it may be a combination of factors causing fatigue. |
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Other Causes of Fatigue
In addition to the causes outlined above, there are other, less common causes that can lead to fatigue in menopausal women. If experiencing fatigue in conjunction with other symptoms, it may be wise to seek the advice of a healthcare professional. For instance, if experiencing chronic fatigue along with depression, the problem may be a thyroid dysfunction, which is one of the more common of the diseases listed at left.
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Certain lifestyle choices, such as a reliance on sugar or caffeine, or a lack of balance in the diet, can also influence a woman´s chance of acquiring fatigue during menopause. Stimulants such as caffeine or drugs can cause an even worse crashing fatigue when their effects wear off. Exercise is important in maintaining overall health, though exercising too close to bedtime may make it difficult to sleep, creating an imbalance in the body´s energy levels.
Whatever the reason, fatigue is a symptom of menopause that it is far better to treat than ignore as it has can influence other symptoms of menopause and interfere with daily function.
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Fatigue-causing Diseases
• Adrenal Fatigue
• Thyroid dysfunction
• Heart Disease
• Anemia
• Insomnia / Narcolepsy / Sleep Apnea
• Depression / Anxiety
Risk Factors for Chronic Fatigue
• Allergies
• Alcohol / Drugs / Caffeine
• Poor Diet
• Stress
• Jet Lag
• Sedentary Lifestyle
• Boredom
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As the main cause of fatigue is hormonal, the most effective way to beat fatigue is to treat it at the hormonal level. Keep reading to learn more about treatments for fatigue in order to overcome it.
Return to home page and learn more about the 34 Menopause Symptoms.
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