Is Your Tiny Tot Tired All the Time?

Be Wary of Your Kid's Choice of Reasons!

​Children today are smarter, cleverer and more active than before. Thanks to folic acid supplements, multivitamins prescribed right from the first trimester and all other beverage powders and food products that nurture a pregnant lady’s health. Yet our children are lazier and become tired very easily. They often complain of tiredness several times during a week which might be due to several reasons-maybe they were awake for a long time the previous night, they are forced to do something that does not interest them or they had a busy day at school due to annual day performance or sports day practice. These are common complaints that are not worrisome until the child starts complaining of tiredness all the time and fatigue sets in preventing him/her to even stop doing things of interest.

Some common reasons for chronic fatigue in children include:
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Sleep issues: Sleepless nights, not getting enough sleep or not getting quality sleep can be extremely tiring and the child feels exhausted the next day. Reasons for this include:

• Growing homework schedules force children to stay awake late. Kids need at least 8 to 10 hours of sleep every night and if they are getting less than this required sleep quantity, it surely affects them the next day.
• Light sleepers wake up frequently during the night
• Sleep apnea or short pauses in breathing due to reasons such as enlarged tonsils or adenoids.
  
  

Medication issues: Medications (including allergy medication) to cure sickness can often cause sleepiness.

Infections/Illnesses: While the normal Influenza virus can leave the child tired for almost a week, there are some infections such as the Epstein-Barr virus that can make the child very tired and last for weeks or months together. Also, chronic illnesses such as asthma can cause fatigue and leave the child frequently with breathlessness. This makes them tired and might be a valuable clue to diagnose a major problem.

Anemia: Lack of adequate red blood cells in the body causes fatigue. These cells carry oxygen to all other cells in the body. Lack of iron results in iron-deficient anemia which is mostly due to insufficient consumption of iron-rich foods. Serve the right foods for your child by getting to know them from the website www.firsteatright.com.

Hypothyroidism: Tiredness is a common complain in hypothyroidism. Here, the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormone which slows down the metabolism of the body and makes the person feel tired.

Heart problems, cancer or other serious diseases: Though rare in children, these problems can cause fatigue.

Depression or mental health issues: These problems are not restricted to adults and children too feel life to be taxing sometimes due to overburdening school work or family disputes at home. Children express it as fatigue and this is most commonly seen than any of the reasons listed above.

Fix an Appointment with the Doctor
When your child complaints of persistent tiredness for more than a week or two together, make an appointment with the doctor who is sure to take care of the following:

• Detailed history of tiredness, fatigue or any of its related symptoms. The doctor might ask about sleep routines, school life and anything that is causing the child to be stressed or anxious.
• A thorough physical examination that ensures normal weight and growth statistics. The doctor looks for any physical abnormalities.
• Tests such as MRI, urine test or blood test that might indicate anything related to your kid’s symptoms.
• Analyze whether the child needs to be referred to a psychologist.
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Mostly the reason for fatigue ends up being a simple issue but the parent would have been scared ultimately afraid of some other serious consequences. Rather than trying to figure out on your own or searching the Internet for solutions, visit your family doctor and get things checked. This would be the best solution to your child’s problem as well as your mind peace.