health

tiredness cure

“I forgot I could feel

this good!”

Doctors told April Cortes, 49, her fatigue was all in her head. But she kept searching for answers until she discovered the culprit—and the cure

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om, get up, let’s go on the rides!” my kids urged as I rested on a bench at Disney World,” recalls April. “‘I need a break—I’ll catch up with you later. Go have fun, I’m fine,’ I told them as they walked away with my husband, clearly upset. I was sad too. We loved going to Disney, but on this trip I was finding it hard to wait in lines and walk through the park. Sure, it was hot, but it didn’t make sense that I would be exhausted after just three hours. As I sat and watched all the other families having fun together, I thought, This is ridiculous! I’m too young to be this tired.”

Beyond sluggish

push through, but deep down I was frustrated—and so was my husband. ‘What’s going on with you? You’re not who you used to be,’ he pleaded. He was worried and wanted to fix it for me but he didn’t know how. And neither did I. “In an attempt to get some answers, I made an appointment with my doctor. ‘I’m not right,’ I told her after explaining how exhausted I felt, both physically and mentally. She ran some tests, but when everything came back normal, she said I was depressed and prescribed an antidepressant. I took the pills, but they didn’t make me feel better. Here I was, just 45 years old, and I felt like I was pushing 70. As each day passed and I didn’t feel any better, I started to believe that I was depressed.

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treatments on each leg. After each, I had to make sure I wasn’t sitting for long periods of time. I also had to wear reinforcement hose 24 hours a day for three days. For the next two weeks, I wore the hose during the day but took them off at night. I also made a point to walk and move around frequently to get the blood flowing in my legs. “Within days of the first treatment on my right leg, my energy started to return. I felt such a difference between my right and left legs—it actually felt like I had a brick attached to the untreated leg when I walked. When my left leg was treated, I felt like nothing could stop me—it was amazing! “Now that my energy has returned, I’m back to doing the things I love the most, like working out and spending time with my husband. Those 30 pounds disappeared, I no longer take antidepressants and instead of watching my family have all the fun, I’m right there with them. We recently went to Disney World and I had no problem walking the entire park and waiting in lines—in fact, I still had energy to spare at the end of the day. Bring on 50: I’m ready!” —as told to Julie Revelant

News! This vitamin cuts heart disease risk by 72% We’ve all heard that sitting too much can affect circulation, raising the risk of heart disease, stroke and venous disorders. But a study in the journal Medical Science Monitor indicates vitamin C can help. When people sat for 3 hours without moving their legs, levels of a marker of blood-vessel elasticity fell by up to 90 percent after an hour, raising the risk of heart issues like hypertension by about 72 percent. But taking 1,000 mg of vitamin C during the sitting session prevented the decline. The authors theorize that vitamin C, an antioxidant, eases harmful oxidative stress caused by sitting. To get the benefits, load up on C-rich foods like papaya, bell peppers, broccoli and strawberries, or supplement with Natrol Easy-C 1,000 mg ($11 for 45 tablets, Natrol.com).

Up to 6 in 10 women over 40 have or are at risk for chronic venous insufficiency, says Dawn Marie Coleman, M.D., an assistant professor of vascular surgery at the University of Michigan. The condition occurs when leg veins get blocked and have trouble sending blood to the heart. The result? Vague symptoms like fatigue, brain fog and a dull ache in the legs. And since 40 percent of sufferers don’t experience varicose veins or other visible symptoms, many go undiagnosed.

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Risk rises with age. To blame: menopausal hormone flux. Estrogen keeps the valves that control blood flow in veins healthy, so declining estrogen levels cause valves to malfunction. Other causes: genetics, extra pounds and long periods of sitting or standing, both of which force veins to work harder.

✓ A leg ultrasound can detect venous insufficiency, says Chris Pittman, M.D. Treatment options include thermoablation, laser therapy and sclerotherapy. Insurance may cover the procedures if medically necessary, but for many women, the steps below offer relief. Compression stockings are key, says Dr. Pittman. Fibers in the legwear squeeze legs to encourage blood flow. And they don’t have to be painfully tight: Studies show low-pressure compression stockings are as effective as high-pressure ones. A stylish brand: Rejuva Fashionable Compression Legwear ($30, ShopRejuva.com).

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PHOTO: STEVE WIDOFF. H & M: DARLINA CONTO. SIDEBAR TEX T: SUMMY L AU

A simple solution

I was pregnant with my daughter 15 years earlier, and they made me so self-conscious that I never wore shorts or skirts. Plus, I often felt a tingling sensation in my legs, which eventually became painful. And since my grandmother had died of a blood clot, I knew I should do something about the veins. “I made an appointment to see Chris Pittman, M.D., medical director and founder of Vein911 in Tampa. After he used an ultrasound to look at the veins and blood flow in my legs, he told me I had chronic venous insufficiency, a condition caused by the pooling of blood in the legs that causes swelling, pain and varicose veins. He explained that my legs were like a basement, and there was a leaky faucet flooding it. But I was shocked when he said my veins were the reason for my tiredness: The reduced blood flow meant I had less oxygenated blood pumping through my body, and that was leading to the fatigue, brain fog and heavy feeling in my legs. “I was thrilled to finally have an explanation for why I had been feeling so bad. After consulting with Dr. Pittman, I opted for endovenous laser treatment, a noninvasive outpatient procedure that took an hour and was covered by insurance. I needed three

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“I always had a ton of energy, but five years ago that changed. I was becoming more tired each day, and it was preventing me from doing what I loved, like spending time with my “I thought maybe I’d feel better about April Cortes, kids. On the weekends, when they myself if I did something about the Tampa, FL had a practice, a game or rehearsal, large purple veins bulging from my instead of staying to watch them like legs. They had first appeared when usual, I started dropping them off and going home to rest. And when they One-minute QUIZ needed supplies for a school project, I had to ask my husIS A CIRCULATION SLOWDOWN band to pick them up. It was so MAKING YOU TIRED? disappointing that I couldn’t be the mother I’d always been. If you are suffering from fatigue and two or “My relationship with my more of the symptoms below, chronic venous husband suffered too. We used insufficiency may be to blame: to work out together at least ✓ A rash, reddish three times a week, but I started ✓ Brain fog or telling him to go without me, ✓ Pain while standing discoloration dark ening on legs which made me feel even worse. ✓ Light-headedness ✓ Aching, heaviness As a result of my lack of exer ✓ S luggishness or cramping in cise, I gained 30 pounds. I put V aricose veins the legs ✓  a smile on my face and tried to

SLUGGISH VEINS draining the energy of 60% of women

Horse chestnut seed extract eases symptoms by 42 percent, according to one study. Experts advise taking a product standardized to contain at least 50 mg of escin (the active ingredient). A brand to try: Reserveage Nutrition Beautiful Legs ($29 for 30 veggie capsules, Reserveage.com and local health-food stores). 4/4/16 First for women

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