When the concept of qi in Korean medicine is translated into the language of modern medicine, it is deeply linked to our body's energy systems. In particular, mitochondrial hypofunction within cells often lies at the core of chronic fatigue. Mitochondria serve as the cellular power plants; when their function declines due to stress, nutritional imbalance, and toxins, the production of an energy molecule called adenosine triphosphate decreases, resulting in symptoms such as generalized lethargy, muscle fatigue, and brain fog. It is just like an inefficient power plant leaving every corner of a house short on electricity.
In addition, an imbalance in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, which regulates our body's stress response, is also considered a major cause. Exposure to chronic stress leads to accumulated adrenal fatigue and causes abnormalities in cortisol secretion, which in turn leads to disrupted sleep patterns, decreased immunity, and a state of perpetual exhaustion. If it is particularly hard to open your eyes in the morning, it may be an issue with the cortisol awakening response, where cortisol is not sufficiently secreted during the night or fails to rise properly in the morning.
An imbalance of neurotransmitters also causes symptoms similar to a deficiency of qi. In particular, substances like serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine exert a decisive influence on mood, motivation, concentration, and energy levels; an imbalance among them can lead to low mood, lethargy, impaired concentration, and chronic fatigue. The reluctance to get out of bed in the morning and the feeling of not wanting to do anything is not simply a matter of willpower, but may be the result of a disrupted balance among these neurotransmitters.
Lastly, chronic inflammation and oxidative stress within the body are also leading culprits behind chronic fatigue. When inflammation accumulates in the body due to stress, poor dietary habits, and environmental toxins, our body expends its energy on extinguishing inflammatory responses. This immediately leads to signals of energy deficiency, producing whole-body fatigue, decreased immunity, and an exhausted body that fails to recover. Fatigue originating from deep within the body, which cannot be resolved simply by sleeping more, occurs precisely because of these complex issues.
