Most stroke survivors can expect to experience some degree of fatigue, but fortunately you can take steps to manage it and reduce its effects on your daily routines.
It’s important to recognize that fatigue is different from simply being tired. Fatigue typically doesn’t improve even when you get adequate rest. Catching up on your sleep won’t make much of a dent in post-stroke fatigue, so other strategies will be needed.
Causes of Post-Stroke Fatigue
Fatigue occurs during stroke recovery for a number of reasons:
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- Physical – Your body simply expends more energy when it is healing. Additionally, you may be exerting yourself more doing your rehab exercises. Weakness developed as a result of stroke and post-stroke pain can also contribute to fatigue.
- Emotional – Fatigue is often associated with depression, anxiety and other mood disorders.
- Insomnia – Although sleep alone is rarely the cause of post-stroke fatigue, it can be an instrumental factor. Stroke survivors face a significant likelihood of insomnia and other disorders that prevent them from getting enough sleep.
- Nutritional deficits – Patients who can’t chew as well as a result of their stroke may suffer from nutritional deficiencies that affect their energy levels.
- Medication side effects – Many medications cause drowsiness that can exacerbate feelings of fatigue.
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Managing Post-Stroke Fatigue
Although post-stroke fatigue is frustrating, there are some steps that you can take to improve your energy levels or work more effectively with their natural ebbs and flows. Here are a few suggestions:
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- Pace yourself and manage your expectations – get a sense of what you can do in a day and don’t try to push yourself beyond that. Give yourself permission to rest as needed. Don’t judge yourself based on your previous level of functioning and activity
- Be patient. It may take a number of months before you start to see improvement in your fatigue
- Establish a bedtime routine, which can signal to your body that it’s time to sleep and reduce insomnia
- Exercise. It seems counterintuitive, but exercising can actually be a powerful fatigue-fighting tool and boost your energy levels.
- Take advantage of assistive technology to reduce your energy expenditures
- Seek support, whether that is in the form of therapy for mental health issues, guidance from your medical team or making your needs known to your loved ones and co-workers so that they know what to expect from you.
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If you are experiencing post-stroke fatigue that is interfering with your wellbeing, talk to your doctor to identify some potential solutions that will be useful in your unique case.