Before you go to the doctor with the complaint of fatigue, look at your lifestyle and consider when the symptom appeared and what’s going on that possibly caused it.

Are you exercising more or less than usual? Either extreme may lead to fatigue.

Are you eating more or less than usual? Those extremes also can lead to fatigue.

Have you moved into a new place and are now adjusting to an unfamiliar environment? That can be tiring, as can be the stress of loss, so if you recently ended a relationship you may experience fatigue.

You may not be diagnosed with depression, but you may be sad, which leaves you drained.

So while there are many reasons why you could be fatigued that you could address, there are just as many possibilities that may be difficult to identify and for which you could use some good preventive help.

If the fatigue you are experiencing is recent and less than one month in duration, it could be caused by a virus. Most viruses present with exhaustion and fatigue, run their course, and quickly leave our system, especially if we take good care of ourselves.

The way to figure out if you are suffering from a virus is to look around at the people you live and work with and consider whether they have similar symptoms. If they do, you all probably have a virus, so give yourself a few restful nights, do a little less running around for a week, don’t stay up late, and don’t exercise too much.

Also, take vitamin C (2,000 mg/three times a day), lactoferrin (600 mg/three times a day), vitamin B complex (100 mg/day), and elderberry extract and probiotics.

Soak your feet in hot water at night, go to bed wearing socks, and get a few good nights of sleep.

Eliminate alcohol and caffeine from your diet and eat foods that are high in protein.

Remember to eat your vegetables and drink lots of water and green tea. Together, these measures should take care of fatigue caused by a run-of-the-mill virus.

If the fatigue you experience lasts longer than a month, consider a few other possible reasons: low thyroid level, low sex hormone levels as you enter menopause, or pregnancy if you are still of childbearing age.