June 16, 2021
There’s nothing worse than waking up after a full night of sleep and feeling just as exhausted as when you dropped into bed the night before. From nodding off in the middle of the workday to lacking the energy to complete essential daily tasks, consistent tiredness can be debilitating.
If you spend the majority of your days feeling tired, try starting with the basics: a healthy diet, good sleep hygiene, and regular exercise. If you’re maintaining a healthy lifestyle and still feel tired every day, here are eight potential causes worth exploring with your physician:
More than 19 million Americans suffer from depression. In addition to feelings of sadness, a major depressive episode can leave you feeling tired for days. If depression is what’s causing your fatigue, you may also be suffering from anxiety, feelings of worthlessness, and a reduced appetite. It's important to understand that help is available.
If your blood sugar is too high, you may be suffering from diabetes. Insulin is a hormone produced by your body to regulate blood glucose, and those with diabetes don’t produce enough insulin to remove glucose from their blood. A blood test can determine if diabetes is the root of your tiredness.
Your thyroid helps control your metabolism. There are a number of thyroid issues, including hypothyroidism and cancer, that impact how fast your body burns calories and can make you feel excessively tired.
Heart disease is the number one killer of people in America. There are many different forms of it, but the blockage of arteries and other types of heart diseases can all make you excessively tired. If you smoke, rarely exercise, or have high cholesterol, you should make an appointment to get screened for heart disease.
If your body doesn’t have enough iron, it may result in anemia, a disease where blood doesn’t carry enough oxygen to the rest of the body. Tiredness is a primary symptom of anemia, as is feeling cold, dizzy, or irritable. A blood test can easily confirm if you have anemia.
Women reach menopause often after the age of 45, when their period stops. There are many symptoms of menopause, and tiredness is one of them. If you’re going through menopause, you should discuss your symptoms with a doctor to see if they require treatment.
Do you snore and still feel tired when you wake up? Sleep apnea may be the cause. Sleep apnea causes breathing to start and stop while sleeping and can also involve waking up with a dry mouth or headache. Being diagnosed often requires a visit to a sleep center.
If you don’t believe any of the above causes are triggering your exhaustion, it could be a condition called chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). If you have been so tired you can’t perform daily tasks for more than six months, and rest isn’t helping, this could be the cause. While the cause of CFS is not currently known, doctors can prescribe medicine to treat the symptoms.
If you generally maintain a healthy diet, get 7-8 hours of sleep each night, and exercise regularly, prolonged fatigue and exhaustion may be indicative of a more serious health issue. To rule out the causes outlined above or something else, make an appointment with your health provider for a full examination.
Information on this site is provided for informational purposes and is not meant to substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professional. You should not use the information contained herein for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing any medication. If you have, or suspect that you have, a medical problem, promptly contact your health care provider.
