Is there anyone these days who is not tired? When you do heavy physical labor or do excessive work and do not get enough sleep, you feel fatigued. Usually, in a healthy person, fatigue goes away after enough rest. However, what we call chronic fatigue is different.
Chronic fatigue is diagnosed when, even without another disease, fatigue does not improve after sleep, continues for more than 6 months, and interferes with a person’s healthy daily life. These days, almost everyone says, “I’m tired,” “I have no energy,” “I feel helpless,” “I feel sluggish,” or “I have no motivation,” to the point that you may wonder whether anyone is not chronically fatigued. But just because it is a common symptom does not mean it should be left untreated.
Is there anyone these days who is not tired? When you do heavy physical labor or do excessive work and do not get enough sleep, you feel fatigued. Usually, in a healthy person, fatigue goes away after enough rest. However, what we call chronic fatigue is different. Chronic fatigue is diagnosed when, even without another disease, fatigue does not improve after sleep, continues for more than 6 months, and interferes with a person’s healthy daily life. These days, almost everyone says, “I’m tired,” “I have no energy,” “I feel helpless,” “I feel sluggish,” or “I have no motivation,” to the point that you may wonder whether anyone is not chronically fatigued. But just because it is a common symptom does not mean it should be left untreated.
Symptoms of chronic fatigue that get in the way of a healthy daily life – Students who sit and study all day, with headaches and decreased concentration
– Children with weakened immunity who frequently catch common colds, often have stomachaches, and experience frequent minor illnesses
– Office workers who have trouble getting up in the morning, do not feel refreshed, have headaches, and feel bloated or heavy in the stomach
– Adults who feel more tired after exercise, have severe body aches, and feel anxious
– Mothers who often become forgetful, feel pain here and there, and feel swollen and heavy
– Fathers who feel drained after work, cannot sleep deeply, and find days off even more daunting
– Parents who have a lingering dry cough, cold sweats, and poor appetite
Chronic fatigue, which no one can be free from, is the story of ourselves and our families.
Why does chronic fatigue bother me? The causes of chronic fatigue have not been clearly identified. However, stress, toxic substances, disorders of the central nervous system, decreased cerebral blood flow, and abnormalities in various neurotransmitters are suspected. In Korean medicine, chronic fatigue has been classified according to various causes and treated accordingly.
Chronic fatigue is not a new illness that affects only modern people. In Korean medicine, its causes have been explored and treated accordingly over thousands of years.
1. Noryeoksang (:勞力傷(過勞傷)): Damage to vital energy from excessive physical labor
2. Noshimsang (勞心傷(過心傷): Damage to qi and blood from excessive thinking and worry
3. Bangnosang (Injury from Sexual Overexertion) (房勞傷): Depletion of essence and qi from excessive sexual activity or masturbation
4. Ilbyeong (逸病(過逸傷): Decreased qi and blood circulation due to reduced physical activity from a sedentary lifestyle
Rejuvenation toward a healthy daily life, finding my returning spring Because chronic fatigue feels common, awareness that it should be treated has also faded. During consultations, when I ask, “Have you been feeling tired lately?” many patients smile sheepishly and say, “I’ve always been tired.” Even so, chronic fatigue should not be left alone.
A major problem with chronic fatigue is that when this fatigue continues, it does not stop at simply having no energy. As vital energy becomes deficient, the digestive system weakens, and the body’s ability to generate qi and blood decreases, leaving the body short of nourishment. In addition, as immunity declines, the defensive ability of the respiratory system decreases, and the body can more easily become exposed to various chronic diseases of unknown cause.
Therefore, at the Fatigue & Herbal Tonics Clinic of Kyunghee Ryu Korean Medicine Clinic, we help strengthen the foundation of vital energy, the spleen and stomach, and replenish insufficient qi, blood, and fluids so that you can move beyond chronic fatigue and return to a healthy daily life.