We all feel tired and out of steam at times. Among the many causes of fatigue, the obvious ones include a lack of sleep or coming down with a flu or cold. Fatigue, however, is also a sign of many more serious health conditions.
So, if you feel like crashing immediately after work, it could be due to your extended work hours, sleepless nights, overtraining at the gym, nutritional deficiencies, or some other underlying reasons. Fatigue can be treated by modifying lifestyle and eating habits.
Most of the times, feelings of fatigue could be overcome with a little sleep and rest, however, at times, modifications in lifestyle and eating habits can also be required.
Feeling tired occasionally is nothing to be concerned about, but chronic fatigue can negatively impact our well-being and make it harder to participate in activities that we might otherwise enjoy.
If you have to resort to consuming a lot of caffeine just to stay active, that is an indication that you must be fatigued. Despite sleeping and resting properly, you could feel out of energy and unable concentrate on work. Such chronic fatigue can be an indication of some serious condition. If you have trouble breathing in addition to the symptoms mentioned above, you must see a doctor.
Fatigue is an extreme form of tiredness. Medical issues like anemia, sleep apnea, diabetes, chronic kidney problems, and depression are conditions that are often associated with fatigue.
Depression, especially, can have a drastic effect on one’s energy levels. Mental health conditions are common and could be cause for fatigue in many people. The evidence-based interventions mental health strongly suggest that fatigue, sleep deprivation, and irregular eating patterns, etc., have causes in a person’s mental state.
So, without much further ado, following is a rundown of the reasons why you are always fatigued:
Reasons Why Are You Always Fatigued
Living under a constant state of fatigue is not normal. Any reason of the ones mentioned below could be at play:
Anemia
Anemia is a medical condition in which blood cells unable to carry enough oxygen due to an iron deficiency. Lack of oxygen in the blood can cause functional inefficiencies in the organs, which may be the cause behind your fatigue.
Anemia can be cured by taking iron-rich supplements and foods like spinach, broccoli, etc.
Sleep Apnea (Sleeplessness)
If you are tossing and turning in bed all night, unable to fall asleep, you might have sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder in which a person’s breathing gets interrupted frequently. In the absence of any treatment, it can cause a variety of other serious health problems like depression, diabetes, high blood pressure, and even heart attack. It can also make you feel weak and tired.
Diabetes leads to Dehydration
Fatigue can also be due to low sugar levels. If you are a diabetic and are not watching your diet, you could have spikes in your blood’s sugar levels. The spikes in sugar levels cause dehydration and lead to tiredness and fatigue.
You should watch your sugar levels if you are constantly feeling fatigued.
Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism happens when the thyroid gland becomes underactive and secretes lower levels of the thyroid hormone. The hormone is responsible for regulating the body’s energy consumption. When the gland doesn’t function normally, it leads to low energy and fatigue. In addition, hypothyroidism can also make the body’s reflexes and metabolism to slow down.
You have to consult with a doctor if you have the condition and work on lifestyle changes to return to normal energy levels.
Depression & Stress
When your blood reports are normal and no medical issues exist, your doctor may ask you about your daily routine. If you feel worthless, hopeless, sad, and helpless, you may have depression or stress.
Depression leads to sleepless nights, unhealthy health and diet routines, and mood swings, etc. Depression is an underlying cause for why you are always fatigued and apathetic toward life and work.
Other symptoms of depression are anxiety, nervousness, trouble sleeping, tiredness, etc.
You should see a therapist if you have depression. Usually, people with depression have to incorporate lifestyle changes and require certain medications to get over it.
Chronic Kidney Problems
Patients having end-stage renal ailments or dialysis could be fatigued. When your kidneys don’t function properly and have filtering irregularities, the blood toxins and impurities may become high in the body, which can lead you to feel weak and tired.
Severe kidney problems can lead to anemia and other issues like renal failure.
Viral or Bacterial Infections
When you have viral or bacterial infection, your body may not be able to work normally. You become weak and feel fatigued. Diseases like flu and pneumonia can cause fever, appetite loss, disruption in breathing, headache, and body aches, etc.
Treating these infections can help you rid of fatigue as well. Usually, the infections subside on their own within a day or two, but sometimes they can take longer to heal.
Heart Diseases
Extreme exhaustion is a common sign of underlying heart problems, which are marked by the heart’s inability to pump blood adequately to all parts of the body. Your heartbeat becomes irregular. Exercise makes you feel out of breath. Swelling of the hands or feet, accompanied by breathlessness, are possible symptoms for underlying heart condition.
If a heart condition is causing you fatigue, medication or treatments can typically help you overcome the problem, reduce fatigue, and regain energy.
Nutritional Deficiencies
If you feel fatigued and can’t point out any serious medical condition that explains it, then you must check for your nutritional score. The following are the common nutrients that become deficient: iron, magnesium, vitamins of B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, and vitamins B & C.
These nutrients are essential for normal body functioning. The requirements can be fulfilled by adding green vegetables and fresh fruits to your diet.
Final Words!
Fatigue can be due to any of the several factors mentioned above. If you have no medical problem that could explain your fatigue, you should incorporate certain lifestyle and diet adjustments, like maintaining a balanced diet, getting adequate sleep, and some sort of physical activity to see your energy levels improve.