Contributors to fatigue in inflammatory bowel disease
Various factors play significant roles in how fatigue affects a person with inflammatory bowel disease. In most cases, the relationship between the two depend on the complications of bowel disease or other effects on your body.
Here are some contributors to fatigue in inflammatory bowel disease:
- Inflammation: Inflammation is commonly caused by elevated levels of proteins known as cytokines. High levels of this protein in the body can lead to fatigue and exacerbate other symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease.
- Anemia: In some cases, people with inflammatory bowel disease have anemia [1], which is also known as low red blood cell count. Fatigue is a major symptom of anemia. Anemia is mostly caused by lack of certain nutrients such as folate, iron, or vitamin B12 [2], or bleeding in the digestive organs.
- Drug side effects: Inflammatory bowel disease is usually treated with drugs. Some of these drugs can lead to fatigue.
- Sleep disturbances: Adults with inflammatory bowel disease may experience irregular sleep patterns, especially during a flare up when symptoms exacerbate. An irregular sleep pattern can lead to fatigue.
- Emotional stress: Inflammatory bowel disease can lead to different emotional disorders, such as depression [3], stress, and anxiety. Elevated stress levels or constant depressed state can lead to fatigue.
- Nutrient deficiencies: The effects of inflammatory bowel disease on the digestive tract can affect the absorptive ability of the intestines. This effect is known as malabsorption. It reduces the amount of nutrients that gets to the body and causes fatigue [4].