Overworking - causes, signs, treatment in adults and children

Fatigue, drowsiness, apathy and weakness - many of these feelings are written off to overwork and think that the usual sleep can solve the problem, restore strength.And in fact, in medicine, fatigue is considered quite a difficult problem - because it can even lead to the development of depression!It is important not only to have some general idea about the condition in question, but also to know its first signs - this will help to react in a timely manner to the "signals" of the body and quickly restore strength.

Physical exhaustion Mental fatigue

Physicians consider two main types of fatigue - physical and mental, and they both can be in children and adults.

Physical overstrain

This type of fatigue develops gradually - a person first feels a slight fatigue and a low intensity pain syndrome in the muscle tissues, but usually these signs are not noticed by many.Continuing to lead an active work or engage in sports training, without reducing the load, there is a full physical overwork. In this case, the following symptoms will be present:

• a feeling of fatigue is present constantly - it is not even removed by sleep and relaxation procedures;
• pain in the muscles increases;
• sleep becomes restless - a person often wakes up for no apparent reason, hardly falls asleep;
• violation in the emotional background - a person becomes either apathetic and listless, or deliberately joking and irritated;
• in the field of anatomical location of the heart there are unpleasant sensations, sometimes turning into pain;
• arterial pressure rises, there is a tachycardia;
• appetite in a person with physical overwork significantly reduced, a white coating appeared on the tongue.In some cases, the tongue quivers when protruding;
• body weight begins to decrease.

Note: if the condition in question develops in women, then a menstrual cycle may occur.

If the above symptoms occur, you should immediately stop reinforced workouts or move away from manual work - it will take time to select a recovery program.Doctors do not recommend to completely abandon the usual physical exercises, just need to reduce their intensity. As therapeutic measures, you can use :

1. Bath.This is an effective remedy for recovery after heavy physical labor, increasing efficiency and strengthening immunity.Optimum will be a combination of bath and massage, but even without the last visit 1-2 times a week the bath will help restore the body even after a strong physical overwork.

1. Bathtubs.They can be different - each of them has an impact of a certain nature. The most popular for physical fatigue are :

• vibrating bath - able to activate the protective and restorative forces of the body, improves blood circulation, reduces the feeling of fatigue in muscles, stabilizes metabolic processes.The procedure for taking a vibrating bath is carried out every day( every other day) for 3-5 minutes, the total number of procedures is 15;
• oxygen bath - is especially effective in physical fatigue after suffering injuries or diseases of the musculoskeletal system.The water in the bath is saturated with oxygen, a person should stay in the water for no more than 7 minutes, the duration of the course of procedures with daily holding is 15;
• pearl bath - air bubbles pass through the water under high pressure, which helps to relax and reduce nervous tension.The temperature of the water of the pearl bath should be 37 degrees, the duration of one procedure is 10 minutes, they are carried out when visiting a bath or a sauna;
• coniferous bath - it has a soothing effect, but it is necessary in case of physical overwork.It is held for 10 minutes, the course is not limited, some doctors recommend taking coniferous baths at least 2 times a week.

1. Shower.It is not enough to take a daily shower as a hygienic procedure - the rightly selected exposure to the soul can help the body cope with physical overwork. Remember :

• hot shower with water temperature +45 - has a toning effect;
• rain shower - refreshes and soothes, reduces the intensity of pain in muscle tissue;
• cascade shower( from a height of 2, 5 m per person falls a lot of cold water) - increases muscle tone;
• contrast shower - helps maintain the working capacity of the body during recovery.

1. Massage.This procedure has a positive effect on the central and peripheral nervous system, the digestive / cardiovascular system, improves metabolic processes in the body.When physical exhaustion is very important to get a qualified massage, so it is advisable to seek help from specialists.

Duration of massage :

• feet - 10 minutes per each lower limb;
• back and neck - generally 10 minutes;
• upper limbs - for each hand for 10 minutes;
• area of ​​the chest and abdomen - 10 minutes in total.

When physical exhaustion can and should take a short vacation, but this does not mean that you need to lie down and lie without activity - this will not allow the body to fully relax. The best options to quickly get rid of physical fatigue without specific procedures :

1. Every day to take walks in the fresh air.And, it's better to do it in parks / squares and during such walks it is not necessary to load your brain with everyday problems - make every effort to ensure that thoughts are only positive.
2. Revise your diet.Of course, the diet can not sit down, but add to the daily menu of fruits, vegetables and low-fat meat will be completely logical.
3. Be sure to take a course of vitamin therapy.You can consult about the choice of specific drugs with your doctor, but you can independently buy a multivitamin complex.
4. Do not reduce physical activity.It will only be necessary to change the type of activity - put in general cleaning in the house, work in the garden or vegetable garden.

Mental fatigue

This kind of fatigue is often perceived as ordinary fatigue and people try to restore their strength by simple sleep or rest on the nature.But doctors say that in some cases such a change of activity will be small, it is necessary to undergo a full-fledged treatment.

Symptoms of mental fatigue

The early signs of mental fatigue include :

• intermittent headaches for no apparent reason;
• considerable fatigue, which does not disappear even after a night's sleep;
• the skin of the face changes color( becomes pale or grayish), under the eyes there are stable bruises;
• fluctuations in blood pressure;
• redness of the eyes;
• the inability to fall asleep.

If the problem worsens, a person begins to experience nausea and vomiting, irritability and nervousness appear, loss of concentration, memory impairment.

Important: in no case can the above diagnosis be diagnosed as "mental overwork"!For example, increasing blood pressure against a background of headache can mean problems in the work of the cardiovascular system.Therefore, a doctor's consultation is absolutely necessary.

Stages of development of mental fatigue

The considered condition can not appear suddenly and suddenly with all the attendant symptoms - mental fatigue develops in a progressive rhythm.

1 stage

The easiest stage of mental fatigue, which is characterized by purely subjective signs - a person can not fall asleep even with severe fatigue, a feeling of fatigue after the night sleep, unwillingness to perform any work.

2nd stage

During this period, the condition under consideration negatively affects the overall rhythm of life. In the 2 stages of the disease, the following symptoms are added to the above symptoms: :

• severity in the heart area;
• feeling of anxiety;
• fast fatigue;
• a small physical load provokes the appearance of trembling of the upper limbs( tremor);
• sleep is heavy, with frequent awakenings and nightmares.

In the second stage of mental fatigue, disorders occur in the digestive system, the person's appetite decreases, the face becomes pale, the eyes are constantly reddened.

During this period, pathological changes in the work of the whole organism begin to occur.Men may experience a decrease in potency and sexual desire, women are disrupted by the menstrual cycle.

Stage 3

This is the most severe stage of the condition under consideration, which is manifested by neurasthenia.Man is too excited, annoyed, sleep is practically absent at night, and in the afternoon, on the contrary, the working capacity is lost because of the desire to sleep, the work of all organs and systems of the body is disrupted.

2 and 3 stages of mental fatigue necessarily require the help of professionals - this condition needs to be treated.

Treatment of mental fatigue

The basic principle of treating mental fatigue is to reduce the loads of all kinds that led to the development of the condition in question.

At the first stage of the disease requires a full rest for 1-2 weeks - a person should rest in a sanatorium, make quiet walks in the fresh air, eat right.If necessary, you can use the relaxing baths, conduct aromatherapy sessions.After this, it will be possible to gradually introduce intellectual and physical loads into the life of a person, and in general it will take at least 2 weeks to recover.

The second stage of mental fatigue requires a complete "cut-off" from intellectual activity - brains "turn off", of course, will not work, but stop dealing with documents, reports, projects is realistic.At this stage, you can engage in auto-training, take a relaxing massage, relax in a sanatorium or clinic.The full restoration period will be at least 4 weeks.

The third stage of the disease in question is the hospitalization of a person in a specialized clinic.It is not about psychiatric centers - it is advisable to send a person with a serious stage of mental fatigue in the dispensary.Within 2 weeks he will only rest and relax, then 2 weeks a person is engaged in active rest and only after that it is possible to introduce into his life intellectual loads.The full course of treatment and recovery in the third stage of the condition in question will be 4 months.

If you feel that the first signs of mental fatigue appear, do not wait for the "development of events".Take a rest for at least 2-5 days, try to change the type of activity and do active rest, attend auto-training courses, and spend a day of aromatherapy with oils of rosemary and mint.

Important: should never be used for mental overstretching any medications!This can only lead to a worsening of the condition, with the condition under consideration, no medication is provided at all.

Overfatigue in children

It would seem - what fatigue can children have?If they run around the clock, skip, shout and do not agree to sleep even late at night?But it is children's overwork, as doctors say, that leads to serious health problems.Therefore, parents should closely monitor the behavior of their babies - the first signs of fatigue in children may be unexpressed.

Symptoms of fatigue in children

Overwork in children is preceded by severe fatigue.It is customary to distinguish the following external signs of fatigue( classification according to S.Kosilov)

Fatigue
slight	expressed	sharp
Attention	Rare distraction	scattered, frequent distractions	Loose, The reaction to new stimuli is absent
Interest in the new material	Alive interest	Weak interest, the child does not ask questions	Complete lack of interest, Apathy
Pose	Unstable, stretching the legs and straightening the trunk	Frequent shifting of the poses, turning the head to the sides, propping the head with your hands	Aspiration to put your head on the table, stretch out, leaning back in the chair
Motions	Accurate	Uncertain, slowed	Fussy hand and finger movements( deterioration of handwriting)
Interest in new material	Alive interest, ask questions ASD8
Weak interest, no issues	Absolute lack of interest, apathy

Even at the very beginning of the development of the condition under consideration, parents can pay attention to :

• capriciousness / tearfulness usually a gay child;
• restless sleep - the baby can scream in a dream, make random strokes with his hands and feet;
• violation of concentration in some occupation or subject.In addition, a child can have body temperature that is not visible for obvious reasons( there are no signs of catarrhal or inflammatory processes), a child experiences sleeplessness at night, and in the daytime suffers from drowsiness.( See also: http://www.sd103sd.com/)
  .

  Children at school age lose interest in studying during overwork, there is a backlog in their studies, complaints of headaches and weakness appear. Very often fatigue in children is manifested in psychoemotional disorders :

  • unpleasant facial expressions;
  • curving in front of adults and a mirror;
  • mimicking the surrounding.

  Children of adolescence in this state begin to be rude, snap, ignore the comments and requests of adults.

  Causes of child fatigue

  The following are considered to be the factors that cause the development of fatigue: :

  • in infancy - violation of the daily regimen( waking time exceeds sleep time), problems with breastfeeding;
  • junior school age - physical and mental loads, constant lessons in lessons, a short night's sleep;
  • senior school age - hormonal changes in the body, high training load.

  It should be borne in mind that overfatigue in children can be caused by stressful situations in school and kindergarten, an unhappy environment in the family, strained relations with peers.

  Treatment of fatigue in children

  Many parents described the above behavior of the child as a kind of pampering - "sleep and everything will pass."But doctors argue that such an ignoring of children's fatigue leads to neuroses, persistent insomnia, fluctuations in blood pressure.

  Treatment of child fatigue is a comprehensive approach to solving the problem.It is necessary to seek help from psychotherapists and pediatricians - they will prescribe auto-training sessions, often it is enough for children to undergo only a few massage sessions to completely restore the psycho-emotional background. The following measures also provide a steady effect:

  • power supply correction - it is about replacing fast food with full-fledged dishes that are consumed in clearly defined hours;
  • physical exertion - it can be exercise therapy or just playing sports;
  • stay on the air - active walks every day for 1-2 hours, regardless of climatic conditions.

  A physician can prescribe to a child, in case of overwork, the intake of vitamin preparations or special biological supplements.

  Preventing fatigue in adults and children

  To prevent the development of fatigue in adults, you only need to know a few rules for doing habitual life.This does not mean that you need a translation for easier work( this simply does not happen), or radically change your way of life - everything is much simpler. Adhere to the following recommendations of :

  1. Weekends should be really weekend - do not take "work at home".
  2. If you are doing physical work, then at home, change activity to mental.
  3. For mental work, on the contrary, do not ignore physical activity.
  4. Go in for sports - it's enough to make walks in the fresh air, visit the pool or at least do morning exercises.
  5. Allow yourself to relax - sauna, sauna, massage sessions, aromatherapy will serve as a prevention of mental and physical overwork.
  6. Do not drink alcohol at the first signs of fatigue - you will not be able to relax, and the weakened organism will get a powerful blow with toxic substances, which will automatically lead to a deterioration of the condition.
  7. Before going to bed, do not watch "heavy" movies, do not listen to too active music - give preference to real rest: reading your favorite book, watching a comedy, knitting or embroidering.

  Parents as prevention of overfatigue should provide children :

  • fresh air intake to the children's room - at least, regular airing of premises is required;
  • daily walks - no matter what the weather is outside;
  • high-grade food - the diet should include fruits and vegetables, meat and dairy products( if there are no medical contra-indications for individual products);
  • quiet games / classes - it's important to do before night sleep: reading books, work on painting pictures, collecting puzzles;
  • competent distribution of the wakefulness period and sleep at night should last at least 9 hours.

  Overwork is not just fatigue, which can be gotten rid of by usual sleep.It is necessary to clearly understand that a prolonged state of fatigue leads to serious health problems - after all, an organism overload entails pathological disruptions in the work of all its organs and systems.

  Tsygankova Yana Aleksandrovna, medical reviewer, therapist of the highest qualification category