Fatigue is a major problem for people with MS. First, you need to understand how to identify and recognize your fatigue: What is fatigue? What are the different ways fatigue can manifest itself? How much does fatigue affect you? Fatigue and you If you are a person with MS, you will find that fatigue is one of the most common of your limiting symptoms. You will struggle with how to recognize and manage this problem because it is unpredictable, for example, when fatigue occurs, how long it will last, how strong it will be, how often it will occur, etc. You will find it difficult for your family and friends to understand your fatigue, and they will not recognize that your fatigue is not caused by your laziness or lack of exercise. When they understand the effects of fatigue in MS, your family, friends and colleagues will give you more support. As you know, the symptoms of MS can be exacerbated when sleep deprivation, great mental shock, unstable (elevated) body temperature, and physical exhaustion occur. When day after day fatigue is worse for your condition, you should not be afraid to run away from fatigue and stress, instead, you should learn to manage your body. Instead, you should learn to manage your body. You should become more aware of and explore the effects of different forms of fatigue on you. Not all people with MS are bothered by fatigue, and there are many people who do not experience any form of fatigue. Forms of fatigue that may occur Normal fatigue Everyone experiences fatigue as a part of normal life. We often complain of being tired or exhausted, but for people with MS, other forms of fatigue can exacerbate normal fatigue. Mental-emotional fatigue Fatigue can be exacerbated by irritability, anxiety, and depression in MS patients; if the concept of fatigue in MS patients is adjusted and understood, it will reduce some of the mental and emotional burden when addressing and dealing with the various different symptoms, problems, and reactions of MS. At the same time it will also strengthen the intensity of the already existing mental and emotional fatigue, which will make you feel more tired and strained. Muscle fatigue When we exert ourselves violently, our muscles can become fatigued, however, fatigue can occur more easily for muscles innervated by nerve fibers affected by MS. Although these muscles are not directly affected by MS, they also appear more rapidly than normal. These stronger muscles will work harder to compensate for the deficiencies of the weaker muscles, and sometimes the stronger muscles will overwhelm the weaker muscles, producing unnecessary and inefficient movements, and this excessive movement will exacerbate the overall problem of fatigue. Of course, when stronger muscles and weaker muscles are controlling muscles and joints at the same time, the overwhelming effect tends to increase the risk of injury to the weaker muscles. Nerve fatigue Nerve fatigue is specific to multiple sclerosis. When nerve fibers become demyelinated they do not function normally, and when this damage continues, there is no insulating protective layer around the nerve fibers and, at the same time, scarring or sclerosis develops. As you know, when nerve impulses pass through scar tissue their conduction is slowed or blocked, and this condition increases fatigue. Fatigue occurs when you type, write, or do things that are repetitive and fast. You may not feel very tired, but your fingers will feel tired and then they won’t work better until they are fully recovered. Heat and fatigue MS patients Heat is closely related to fatigue, when the body temperature rises, the nerve impulses will not easily pass through the hardened spots, this reason will make you feel tired, that is, heat can easily aggravate labor. Some people find that reducing exposure to heat is helpful in avoiding fatigue. Spasticity and fatigue Spasticity is a big problem for many people with multiple sclerosis. A spastic state is an involuntary contraction of a muscle that produces uncontrollable movement. It usually involves several muscle groups at once. After fully recognizing and understanding the effects of fatigue on multiple sclerosis, we need to learn ways to reduce fatigue: 1. Manage body temperature (control your own body temperature) Your body temperature is usually low from 4-6 a.m. and is usually at its highest from 4-6 p.m. Exercise as far as possible in the early morning, to avoid excessive body temperature, in addition to avoid exposure to heat as far as possible, feel fatigue as soon as possible to let yourself to the appropriate body temperature environment, you can drink the right amount of cold water or ice water, etc.. There have been studies that show that wearing a cooling undershirt directly to lower your body temperature can significantly relieve fatigue, there have been studies that show that wearing a cooling undershirt directly to lower your body temperature can significantly relieve fatigue, but not everyone is suitable, to be used with caution, to avoid catching a cold; 2, limit the impact of spasticity (if necessary, you can resort to medication); mobilize your enthusiasm to use your energy as effectively as possible; 3, strictly comply with your rehabilitation therapist The exercise program developed for you, such as: appropriate aerobic exercise, rehabilitation training, learn energy conservation strategies (currently common energy conservation training programs are: systematic analysis and adjustment of activity patterns to reduce energy consumption; balance work and rest; effective use of physical strength, improve the work environment; the use of assistive technology to preserve physical energy, generally requires 6 weeks of energy conservation training), etc. 4, learn to face reality, as far as possible to maintain a positive and optimistic attitude, if there is more serious depression, anxiety, if necessary, need to help your doctor or psychiatrist, can be appropriate drug regulation.