Autumnal asthenia occurs when, after months of heat and a lot of sunlight, autumn arrives, a season characterized by a decrease in temperature and the number of hours of light that our body perceives; all this causes alterations in the biorhythm and the mood.
What are your causes?
The main cause of this disorder is found in the hormones that regulate the body’s functioning and whose production does not always adapt well to the readjustments of light, temperature and schedules that occur with the change of seasons. For this reason, when we suffer from asthenia, we sleep poorly, we are more tired, it is difficult for us to concentrate, we have muscle weakness, and we feel sadder. In other words, we become fatigued and lose vitality for no apparent reason.
Symptoms of autumnal asthenia
Its symptoms appear and affect, normally, the emotional state of those who suffer from asthenia.
The most common are tiredness, apathy, bad mood or lack of sleep. Anhedonia (a person’s inability to feel pleasure when performing any activity) and lack of concentration are also normal. Even the absence of sexual desire is a common of this syndrome.
How to prevent it
Once our body adjusts to seasonal changes, the symptoms of autumnal asthenia disappear. However, it is best to prevent its appearance through a series of basic recommendations:
Respect the hours of sleep.
Maintain a healthy and balanced diet.
Practice moderate-intensity physical exercise.
Reduce the consumption of substances such as tobacco, alcohol, and caffeinated beverages.
Take advantage of the hours of natural light to go out to take the air and the sun.
Carry out activities that motivate and stimulate us.
Take short breaks of five minutes every hour during the workday.Possible treatments for autumnal asthenia
Autumnal asthenia is not a disease or a syndrome despite all these symptoms since its effects disappear as the body adjusts to seasonal changes. As with many other health problems, the best treatment is prevention.
Melancholy, sadness, lack of concentration, tiredness or loss of appetite are some of the symptoms shown by children with autumnal asthenia. A transitory state that causes an alteration in the child’s biological rhythm is characterized by loss of energy, apathy, and the free fall of the body’s defences due to the change of season.
As explained by Dr. Fernando Baixauli, a pediatrician at the Vithas Valencia 9 de Octubre, Vithas Valencia Consuelo and Vithas Castellón hospitals, “autumn implies fewer hours of light, lower temperatures and a frenetic pace of school and extracurricular activities.” “Seasonal changes,” underlines the professional, cause an alteration in the levels of certain hormones, specifically, melatonin, a hormone related to sleep that has been associated with seasonal affective disorder. This hormone, which is also related to depression, is produced at higher levels in the dark. Thus, when the days are shorter and darker, more melatonin is produced. In addition, there is a decrease in beta-endorphin, and its deficiency causes irritability, nervousness, sadness, tiredness and apathy. “
In general, the symptoms of autumnal asthenia last between a week and a fortnight, more or less as long as it takes for the body to adapt to the new season. According to the specialist, “if the clear symptoms of asthenia last for more than fifteen days or if the child also associates mucus, earache, low-grade fever (37.5-37.8 ºC), weight loss or diarrhea, it will no longer be treated asthenia. If these symptoms are added, – he adds – the child should be taken to the pediatrician since it may be the beginning of an illness such as a cold, gastroenteritis, otitis or even an allergy”.
How to prevent and treat autumnal asthenia in children
The predisposition of some children to suffer from autumnal asthenia is obvious, but their lifestyle is a determining factor in preventing it. “To combat this state of mind, it is important to respect sleep schedules, do physical exercise and lead a healthy life in general. The little ones need an established routine for their physical and psychological development to be adequate “, says Dr. Baixauli, who recommends” doing physical exercise outdoors, since it stimulates the release of dopamine and endorphins that lift the spirits of the little ones.”
On the other hand, a balanced diet and a healthy diet are fundamental pillars to prevent asthenia. Food in these cases plays a fundamental role, being advisable to include proteins of high biological value in the daily diet in addition to vitamins of group B. In this sense, it is advisable to consume products rich in vitamin B3 (niacin) and B12 and essential amino acids such as tryptophan, which improves serotonin levels. “The adequate supply of nutrients and vitamins is essential for the child to have adequate physical and mental health without forgetting good hydration,” concludes the professional.
The doctor assures that children should sleep between 9 and 10 hours until they are 18 years old regarding adequate rest. “In fact,” he adds, “it has been shown that levels of cortisol, which is the stress hormone, are greatly reduced after a good rest and, on the contrary, when you sleep less than you should, they increase.” This hormone is also related to being overweight since the lack of rest increases the appetite level increasing our need for glucose.
What are the main symptoms of autumnal asthenia?
If you want to check if you are suffering from them, here are the main symptoms of autumnal asthenia. Here we list them all:
Tiredness.
Soft spot.
Drowsiness and difficulty sleeping and falling asleep
Apathy, lack of interest.
Changes in mood
Sadness.
Irritability.
Difficult to focus.
Lack or excess of appetite.
Decreased libidoThe truth is that there are many symptoms of autumnal asthenia. Analyze if they are being fulfilled; if so, it is a matter of combating it.
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How to prevent autumnal asthenia
To avoid getting to this point, it is best to know how to prevent autumnal asthenia. The most important thing is to maintain maximum energy levels.
If you are wondering how to get them, it is easy, leading a healthy lifestyle. No more, no less.
Here are some simple tips to help you with the task:
A healthy and balanced diet, rich in fruits, vegetables and moderate in protein
Restful sleep, advance bedtime and get up a little earlier than usual so that you will make the most of daylight hours
Physical exercise: doing physical activity every day will help you a lot to prevent autumn asthenia
Increase exposure to sunlight: take advantage and enjoy the free air first thing in the morning, at noon, or in the middle of the afternoon.So far, everything he should know about autumnal asthenia in León. Please don’t make things easy for him and enjoy the new season intensely.