Chronic fatigue dehydration

The connection between chronic fatigue & dehydration is discussed. In addition we present chronic fatigue diagnosis, chronic fatigue cause and chronic fatigue cures. Finally, we explain why correcting dehydration may be the most effective way to prevent and treat CFS.

Our central thesis is that chronic fatigue & dehydration are related like many other illnesses that seem to result from dehydration.
Chronic fatigue diagnosis is often made when symptoms seem varied and mysterious and doctors don't know about the connection between chronic fatigue dehydration.

Chronic fatigue diagnosis

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a misunderstood disorder that involves extreme fatigue. Rest does not seem to help. Physical or mental activity worsen symptoms.

Women are more likely to be diagnosed with CFS, peak ages being 20s - 40s.

Of course, chronic dehydration is often missed as causal by the medical profession so it is not likely that it would make the connection between chronic fatigue and dehydration.

Signs of CFS

In addition to fatigue that is not caused by known medical conditions, chronic fatigue syndrome has several possible signs.

*Memory loss or problems with concentration

*Sore throat

*Painful, enlarged lymph nodes in neck & armpits

*Muscle soreness for no apparent reason

*Pain that moves from one body part to another

*Headaches whose occurrence and severity vary

*Sleep problems

*Extreme exhaustion that persists more than one or two days after physical or mental exercise

Note: many of the above problems seem to result from dehydration and chronic fatigue dehydration is yet another example of illnesses that seem to develop from dehydration.

Chronic fatigue causes & dehydration as main chronic fatigue cause

Chronic fatigue syndrome is one of the most mysterious of the chronic illnesses. One difficulty is that it has no clear cause.

Proposed causes include:

*Depression

*Anemia

*Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)

*Allergies

*Virus infections like Epstein-Barr virus or herpes

*Immune system disorders

*Hormones imbalances mainly hypothalamic, pituitary or adrenal

*Mild, chronic low blood pressure (hypotension)

*Dehydration: Chronic fatigue and dehydration are linked via complicated physiological processes involving the brain. Scroll down to skip technical expalnation & go to treatment for CFS.

Dehydration leads the brain to deplete a main pool of energy for humans, ATP.

ATP is short for adenosine triphosphage and is responsible for powering every activity of the cell. ATP is the prime energy currency for all living beings from simple bacteria to complex beings.

The brain is especially dependent on ATP to function properly.

When dehydrated, the brain over relies on ATP as a source of energy.

When ATP energy is not as quickly available as needed, the initial over-reliance on ATP may initially lead to feeling depressed for no apparent reason.

Sufferers often turn to caffeine to lift mood and energy. But this presents a double whammy trapping drinkers into a web..

You see, caffeine forces the brain to use up even more ATP even as mood and energy temporarily lift due to the caffeine boost.

Studies suggesting that caffeine does not dehydrate drinkers fail to take into account caffeine's ability to raise metabolism as evidenced by accompanying feelings of flushed face and increase heart rate.

Of course, a higher metabolism uses up more water thus dehydrating drinker further.

As the process continues, cells working in a dehydrated state, with little available ATP, need even more stimulation to work. You guessed it, more coffee.

However, like drug users, the stimulant is not enough to produce the initial effects no matter how much caffeine is consumed.

At this point, the low level depression & lethargy turns into a deeper passive, vegetative state. It is at this point that it becomes labeled "chronic fatigue syndrome." It's also at this point that the connection between chronic fatigue and dehydration is missed leading to the current state of controversy over CFS.

Former theories that CFS is caused by viruses like Epstein-Barr have not panned out. No proposed cause has really stood the test of time.

But we know that chronic dehydration leads to DNA damage and Dr. Batmanghelidj observed that damaged DNA breaks up into particles that have become misclassified as viruses.

Additionally common avoidance of natural, healthy sea salt depresses muscle and nerve activity and increases muscle cramps "for no apparent reason." Sounds like CFS.

All of the above stressors work in synergy to reduce energy, increase fatigue, mysteriously producing what we term "chronic fatigue syndrome."

But it is essentially a series of stressors, starting with dehydration, that the body has to deal with that is the major chronic fatigue cause and risk factor.

Chronic fatigue cures

There's no definitive chronic fatigue cure. One reason is that there is no agreed upon chronic fatigue cause(s). Symptom relief is what most doctors aim at.

Strategies to alleviate the symptoms:

*More rest. But this may worsen symptoms for some sufferers.

*Avoid physical and psychological stress.

*An exercise program that becomes more challenging. Research has shown that exercise can relieve symptoms of CFS and of possible underlier, depression.

*Cognitive behavior therapy. The psychotherapy of choice for CFS sufferers because of its structured approach to treatment.

*Treatment of depression. Going on the assumption that depression is strongly implicated in chronic fatigue syndrome, the accompanying depression could be the focus of psychotherapy or drug therapy. Medication could include amitriptyline (Limbitrol, a multi-ingredient drug that contains amitriptyline), desipramine (Norpramin), nortriptyline (Aventyl, Pamelor), fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem), paroxetine (Paxil), sertraline (Zoloft) and bupropion (Wellbutrin).

*Pain accompanying CFS may be focus of treatment. Medications that target particular pains and locales include Acetaminophen (Tylenol, others), nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as aspirin and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others), to reduce pain and fever. Treatment of allergy symptoms is another goal. Antihistamines and decongestants to relieve symptoms such as runny nose.

*Treatment of accompanying low blood pressure (hypotension). Fludrocortisone (Florinef), atenolol (Tenormin) and midodrine (ProAmatine, Orvaten) may be prescribed.

*Treatment for nervous system problems. Dizziness and skin tenderness can be relieved by clonazepam (Klonopin). Lorazepam (Ativan) and alprazolam (Xanax) could relieve symptoms of anxiety.

Especially, for chronic fatigue disorder, lifestyle changes are extremely important to eliminate disorder or relieve symptoms.

*Relieving stress. Learning to relax.

*Getting enough sleep is essential. Practicing good sleep habits and consistent sleep routines.

*Exercise regularly. Build up gradually. Stretching and relaxation exercises can also help. Consider a easy yoga class. Remember to drink more water as your exercise pace picks up or the you wont break the connection between chronic fatigue and dehydration no matter how enlightened your exercise program is.

*Pacing yourself. Too much or too little activity is not helpful.

*Eat a balanced diet, drink plenty of fluids (more below), limit or eliminate caffeine.

*Look for an engaging hobby or pastime.

Chronic fatigue dehydration may be the reason for some or most sufferers of CFS.

Click on navigation tab "How much to drink" for detailed advice on hydrating yourself.

Here are some key points to remember about managing chronic fatigue disorder with hydration.

*Unfortunately, just because dehydration may be the main chronic fatigue cause for a person does not necessarily mean that it can be instantly cured by hydrating. The damage may be permanent while the symptoms remain reducible.

*Drink 2/3 of your body weight of ounces of water per day. Weigh 150 pounds, drink 100 ounces of water. May need to gradually build up to this level.

*Add place a small pinch of good sea salt on your tongue after drinking a couple of glasses of water up to 1/2 to 1 tsp per day. At the same time, reduce excessively salted foods. Breaking the link between chronic fatigue and dehydration will be impossible without the necessary salt to hold the water.

*Be radical about caffeine reduction. Eliminate all of it if possible.

*Eliminate sugary drinks to prevent energy spikes and to decrease gland fatigue that may accompany caffeine and sugar consumption.

*Finally, be patient about this program. It may take weeks or months to correct the imbalances and damage that chronic fatigue dehydration may have caused.

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