What it means
More than ordinary tiredness: an exhaustion that makes daily tasks hard. It is one of the most common symptoms in health care and goes with many conditions, such as anemia, heart failure, cancer and its treatment, depression, infection, thyroid disease and poor sleep.
For the nurse
Ask how fatigue affects daily activities. Help the client plan the day with rest periods between tasks and do the most important activities when energy is highest.
At a glance
| Spanish | fatiga, cansancio |
|---|---|
| Also written | fatigued |
Related terms
anemia
A lower than normal number of red blood cells or amount of hemoglobin in the blood.
malaise
A general feeling of being unwell, uneasy or weak, without one clear cause.
depression
A mood disorder of lasting sadness or loss of interest that affects thinking, sleep, appetite and daily life.