Fatigue is a general term used to describe feelings of exhaustion, sleepiness, and lack of energy. It is a common problem among HIV-infected people. Fatigue is not a disease, but rather a symptom of disease. Some people suffer from isolated or periodic bouts of exhaustion. Others, however, experience chronic fatigue, which may greatly interfere with work or other day-to-day activities.
Many health-care providers do not know how to manage HIV-positive patients who report fatigue. Often, patients are told that their fatigue is either "in their heads" or an unavoidable consequence of being infected with HIV. Not only do many types of fatigue benefit from treatment or changes in lifestyle, but negative health-care provider attitudes about fatigue can also significantly impair the relationship between HIV-positive people and their caregivers.
This lesson is intended to help HIV-positive people understand the very real causes of fatigue and to combat the common misconception that little can be done to treat it. We hope this lesson will help all HIV-positive people understand fatigue better and enable them to bring their concerns and questions about fatigue to their health-care providers.
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