We have written about tiredness and fatigue syndrome before because it is such an important subject and affects both physical and mental health at home and in the workplace.

Some people can feel tired even though they appear, on the surface, to have enough sleep. If this is the case they might try a short nap during the day or have an early night but sometimes this doesn’t help.

Tiredness is a complex issue and it can affect your entire being and cause headaches, aching muscles, moodiness, short-term memory problems, poor concentration and low motivation. If all this sounds more like a mental health issue then you may be right.

Constant tiredness can impact on your personal and work life and will affect your ability to do your job and have an impact on the health and safety of those around you dependent on the sort of work that you do.

If you do feel tired all the time then examine the quantity and quality of your sleep but for many of those who visit the doctor complaining of fatigue it’s most likely that something else is to blame for the lack of sleep and constant feeling of exhaustion.

The cause of fatigue isn’t always obvious, and you may have an underlying medical problem such as anaemia, and underactive thyroid sleep apnoea, diabetes, heart problems or an auto immune disorder such as rheumatoid arthritis

It can also be a side-effect of any medication that you might be taking so your to examine doctor should investigate the potential knock-on effect of any prescription medicine that they recommend before you take it.

Alternatively, feeling tired all the time can be a response to your personal lifestyle, or your social and psychological issues rather than a medical condition. Here are a number of possible reasons why you might be tired all the time.

Top of the list is stress, anxiety or depression because studies suggest that between 50 and 80% of tiredness is due to psychological factors. Stress and emotional shock such as a bereavement or a relationship break up can leave you feeling worn out. In fact,  fatigue is regarded as one of the main symptoms of generalised anxiety disorder and depression which affect up to 7% of the worlds population. The good news is that doctors and health professionals will be able to help.

Insufficient iron. The mineral iron is essential for transporting oxygen in your blood so if you’re not eating enough iron rich foods you’re likely to feel constantly tired women are more prone to developing and efficiency than men because of their menstrual cycle.

If you suspect that this could be the reason for your tiredness examine your diet and consider foods that are rich in vitamin C.

Exercise. It’s probably the last thing you feel like doing if you’re constantly in a state of tiredness but research shows that regular low intensity exercise can boost energy levels and people suffering from fatigue.

Even a brief 15 minute walk and help and one British study found that yoga was effective at increasing energy. Why exercise alleviates fatigue isn’t clear but study findings suggest physical activity axed directly on the central nervous system to increase energy.

Dehydration. You can feel tired when you are mildly dehydrated. We see more and more people carrying bottles of water these days and this is a very sensible remedy to ensure that you do not become even mildly dehydrated. If you’re planning to exercise ensure that you are well hydrated before you start and sip water throughout your work out re-hydrating afterwards.

We hope that some of these tips may help you if you are one of those who feel constantly tired. Please review our other blogs on the same subject which you may also find to be of assistance.

Remember, Mayfair we care

As the Formula One racing circus visits Singapore for its latest race, air pollution and the haze created has been brought into sharper focus than for a long time. There are reports of the haze closing schools in Malaysia and fears for the visibility and wellbeing of the F1 teams and their drivers in Singapore. Suddenly, something that is a constant for those who live in the region becomes big news.

But what is Haze?

The definition is that it is an atmospheric phenomenon where suspension of extremely small dry particles in the air obscure the clarity of the sky.

Its components can be gases such as ozone, sulphur dioxide, nitrous oxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide. Particulate matter also in the air includes benzene sulphate, organic carbon, microbial components and pollen.

These particles can penetrate respiratory and circulatory systems and can cause damage to the health of an individual exposed to it for any length of time, or on a regular basis,

Haze and your health.

But it’s not just the head that is affected. By breathing in particulate matter, this can cause problems in the throat with irritation, dryness and soreness causing coughing.

Extreme cases can create chest discomfort and respiratory tract infection. Asthma attacks are often prevalent and even something as natural as drinking water can be an issue if the drinking water is contaminated by dense haze. This can lead to stomach upset and vomiting. The skin can also be irritated by constant exposure to Haze.

So what precautions can be taken to prevent all these outcomes?

Spend less time outdoors.

Sadly, at a time when we are encouraging our children to spend less time on their iPads and more time outdoors, the advice in areas of high air pollution is to reduce outdoor activities such as jogging and cycling amongst others.

Drink plenty of water as long as it does not fall into the contaminated category.

Wash your hands and face on a regular basis and especially after outdoor activities and finally, please make sure that if you are prescribed medicines by your doctor that you take them on a regular basis especially if you have an underlying respiratory or cardiovascular dilute disease.

We will be revisiting the subject of air pollution in future blogs but in the meantime stay safe.

Mayfair, we care.

For years now we have all loved bottled water and it has been the fastest growing area of drinks in the world with a forecast estimate of $215 billion by 2025.

Amazing isn’t it? A commodity that a lot of the world can have, freely available from our kitchen taps, is selling for around 2000 times the price in the supermarkets and we are buying it!

Why are we buying bottled water?

Do you buy bottled water or spring water because of the minerals?

Once again testing has indicated to tap water has a relatively high concentration of beneficial minerals like calcium and magnesium – more than most bottled brands.

Plastic pollution.

Health

Improving the environment and your health; it’s a powerful argument to turn away from plastic bottles of water.

Mayfair, we care.