Top 8 Causes for Fatigue 

It is not unusual to feel excessively overworked and tired on some days. However, if the lethargy persists for a prolonged period, there may be something to be concerned about. Do not disregard this because fatigue can be your body’s way of trying to send you a signal.

So, what should you do if you feel tired for weeks or even months? First, you must investigate the root cause of this often-overlooked symptom. Even though fatigue can result from something as simple as an unhealthy lifestyle, it could also hint toward a yet-undiagnosed health issue.

In this article, we have highlighted the 8 most common causes of fatigue. Explore these causes and try to assess which one may be contributing to your state of extreme exhaustion.

What Are the Top 8 Causes of Fatigue?

Lack of Sleep

A healthy sleep schedule can help heal both body and mind. If you are not getting enough quality sleep, your body will surely feel the impact in the form of tiredness throughout the day. Insufficient quality sleep can affect your body in other ways too.

It can disrupt your mood, increase inflammation and trigger oxidative stress. All of these can impact the immune system. However, you can reduce the chances of poor quality or insufficient sleep by making some simple lifestyle changes.

Start by sticking to a healthy sleeping routine. Do not use electronic gadgets before bedtime, and keep them away to resist the urge. Certain activities such as meditation, reading, and a warm bath before bedtime could significantly enhance your sleep quality.

Nutritional Deficiency

Lack of energy is the culprit behind fatigue. Thus, inadequate intake of certain nutrients can lead to fatigue. To allow your cells' adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to produce energy naturally, you must ensure proper nutrition.

When your eating habits are not right, you do not absorb nutrients or digest them properly. Often, fatigue results from insufficient intake of tyrosine, vitamin C, B vitamins, and essential fats such as omega 3, 6, and 9. Other nutritional deficiencies may include electrolytes (such as sodium, potassium, and phosphate), minerals (such as iron and iodine), and amino acids (such as glycine, leucine, carnitine, and methionine).

If you are eating balanced meals and still suffering from certain nutritional deficiencies, perhaps you should try out some natural health supplements. Natural supplements are great as they are made from whole food sources and hence are more bioavailable. So you should definitely befriend health supplements at the right time to ensure an active and healthy life.

Hormonal Imbalance

Did you know hormonal changes in your body can cause fatigue as well? Specific hormones such as thyroid hormones and progesterone play a key part in ensuring a healthy metabolism.

The thyroid hormone helps with several digestive functions, including utilising the nutrients you consume. Having low thyroid hormones is called hypothyroidism, a condition that can significantly slow down your metabolism.

If left untreated, hypothyroidism can lead to a low body temperature, slow heart rate, confusion, and even coma. Thankfully, you can manage your thyroid levels easily with oral medications. However, make sure to also get blood tests done regularly and adjust your prescription accordingly.

Another hormone that can affect your energy level is progesterone. Low progesterone in women often leads to not only low energy but also low mood. If you are a man with similar symptoms, you should get your testosterone levels checked. Balancing your hormone levels is a must to fix your energy levels, mood and even your skin and hair.

Little or Too Much Physical Activity

Nothing can lift your energy level like a good exercise session. Exercising every day can offer a plethora of benefits. Be it yoga, walking, running, or aerobics, you can choose an exercise of your choice each day.

This practice will help alleviate your mood and keep your energy meter high. You can even couple your routine exercises with a healthy session of meditation. However, despite all the amazing benefits of exercise, too much of it is not recommended either, as that can cause excessive physical exertion.

Iron Deficiency

If you are suffering from chronic fatigue, find out whether your haemoglobin levels are fine. A quick blood test can reveal whether you suffer from an iron deficiency. In case the test results suggest you have iron deficiency anaemia, you can try to reverse the condition by treating your body with loads of iron-rich food.

Iron deficiency anaemia is a result of not consuming enough iron or the body’s inability to absorb iron adequately. Other reasons may include blood loss or pregnancy. To treat this cause of fatigue, eat iron-rich food like meats, cereals, tofu, greens, etc. Iron supplements can also be beneficial.

Diabetes

Blood sugar fluctuations have been associated with fatigue for a long time. This is especially true for individuals with diabetes. Diabetes slows down the conversion of blood sugar into energy. Hence, constant exhaustion is one of the most common symptoms of unregulated diabetes.

If you struggle with blood sugar imbalances, you can level up your energy with medication, regular exercise, and better lifestyle choices overall. To begin with, you could choose eating healthy over binging on junk food to prevent your sugar levels from crashing suddenly.

Weak Immune System

A weakened immune system due to an infection, slow healing, oxidative stress, or inflammation can disrupt cellular energy production. To ensure your immunity bounces back stronger and you stay away from other diseases, you need to eat clean and adopt a healthy lifestyle. You can also add organic immunity supplements to your diet to help you make your body more robust from within.

But if you are always tired and just cannot figure out the reason, you should get checked for autoimmune diseases such as lupus, celiac disease, and rheumatoid, as these can be caused when your immune system weakens. These are all serious conditions that can hinder your energy levels.

Chronic Disease

To make matters worse, fatigue can also indicate a range of chronic diseases. From pneumonia to congestive heart failure to HIV, fatigue can be a symptom of several severe conditions. Therefore, if you have been suffering from constant fatigue for 6 months or more, even while following a healthy lifestyle, you may have chronic fatigue syndrome and may want to consult medical advice.

Conclusion

Feeling tired is never fun. If the lethargy lingers for an unexpectedly long period, there may be cause for investigation. Fatigue is actually a major symptom of several underlying medical problems. So, if you are feeling unexplained fatigue, you need to find out what may be causing it.

As mentioned above, difficulty with sleep is one of the most common causes of fatigue. Other significant contributors include hormonal imbalances, nutritional deficiencies, and physical and mental stress.

That’s not all. Fatigue might even indicate serious health concerns such as uncontrolled blood sugar, weakened immune system, and other chronic illnesses. So if you are tired all the time, don’t ignore it. Work towards leading a healthier lifestyle by making small yet impactful changes. Adopt natural and clean products as much as possible rather than synthetically made ones.