Do you constantly feel tired? We all certainly know what it is like to be drained, especially when we suffer from a fever, cold or the flu, or some other sickness. But does this question often run in your mind "Why am I feeling tired always?". If yes, it is possible to check the reasons behind a constant lack of energy. It is essential to check in between your work or school, family, friends and other commitments whether you are going through a condition called fatigue.
What is Fatigue?
Fatigue goes beyond feeling exhausted and tired. Fatigue if it may be caused due to work, is a state of mental or physical exhaustion that brings down a person's ability to perform work effectively. People involved in prolonged or intense psychological or physical activity, sleep loss, or disruption of the internal body clock are prone to work-related fatigue. In other words, when a person exerts his energy levels beyond what he can do without proper breaks, it might lead to fatigue in the long run. If you have made some simple alterations to your lifestyle or routine by going to bed early, managing stress, yet if you are feeling the symptoms of fatigue, you might need to take the advice of a professional.
Signs of fatigue include:
- Feeling tired even after sleep
- Reduced hand-eye coordination or slow reflexes
- Short term memory problems and an inability to focus
- Blurred vision or impaired visual perception
- Sleeping longer during days off from work
What causes Fatigue?
Fatigue can be caused by work-related or factors besides work or a combination of both. Stressful jobs with long shifts and long commutes are major causes of fatigue. Long shifts, insufficient recovery time between shifts, and strenuous jobs contribute to fatigue. Besides work, the others contributing reasons for fatigue would be inadequate sleep due to family situations or personal problems.
Here are the top reasons why a person feels tiredness:
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Iron deficiency or overload
One of the most common medical reasons for feeling constantly run down is an iron deficiency or anaemia. There's also the possibility of having too much iron, this is referred to as iron-overload disorder and can also cause tiredness.
Hypothyroidism could be another reason for tiredness. When a person's body produces insufficient thyroid hormone (thyroxine), the person is said to develop Hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism controls a person's metabolism so that when levels are low, it tends to make a person go down with energy. The thyroid problem is relatively very common in women.
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Depression
Another possible reason for feeling tired and drained of energy could be because of depression. A person suffering from depression disorders or other similar mental illnesses can stop them from falling asleep or cause them to wake up early in the morning, which makes the person feel more tired during the day.
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Heart diseases
Heart diseases, especially coronary artery disease, arrhythmias, heart infections, and heart muscle diseases, can be one reason to feel tired all of the time.
- Type 2 Diabetes
Sugar or glucose in our body is vital and fuels our body with energy. Type 2 Diabetes is a condition in which the body doesn't make enough insulin that helps glucose get into the body's cells to be used for energy production. And that means people with type 2 diabetes often notice fatigue as one of the symptoms.
An individual suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome experiences extreme fatigue, which does not improve with rest and gets worse if they exert themselves.
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Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a condition where you feel tired after waking up due to disruptive sleep, mainly due to breathing trouble such as snoring. Obstructive sleep apnea in most cases collapses the upper airway for 10 seconds or more, which prevents the brain from going into deeper stages of sleep, such as the REM stage.
Vitamin B12 is important for maintaining a healthy immune system and metabolism. However, as we age, our ability to absorb B12 decreases and fatigue is one of the apparent signs of B12 deficiency.
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Lifestyle and habits
Some lifestyle habits pave the way for fatigue. It can be because of an unhealthy lifestyle such as bad eating habits, not getting enough sleep, more caffeine intake, consumption of alcohol, too much stress etc.
Home remedies for fatigue
If you are experiencing fatigue but aren't sure if it warrants a trip to the doctor just yet, we recommend trying to make a few changes at home to see if they help. Those include:
- Take regular breaks during the day. This can help you refocus.
- Replacing tedious tasks with more active ones. This can improve your physical activity.
- Try to be more physically active. Lack of activity can sometimes be the cause of fatigue. Making a point to get the minimum physical exercise a week may help.
- Make time for what you enjoy. A hobby or other activity you enjoy may alleviate fatigue caused by stress and boredom.
When to check with a doctor about being drained all the time?
A few lifestyle changes might reduce fatigue, but when you are suffering from an underlying health condition, it is unlikely to help much. In such situations, only a medical professional can give the right directions.
Of course, diagnosing severe fatigue conditions between normal tiredness can be tricky to detect. So, when should a person seek medical help? When fatigue becomes persistent and interferes with a person's ability to complete daily tasks, perform well at work, or engage in enjoyable activities, it may be time to see a doctor.
