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Why Am I Always Tired?

August 18, 2022 | Dr.Amna Zubair

Do you ever feel that you lack the energy to carry out day-to-day work? Or do you get exhausted after a few hours of mental or physical activity? Often people tend to push it off as laziness. While it may be true in some cases, most of the time, it’s your body giving signs that something might be wrong. There can be multiple physical, hormonal, medical, or psychological reasons behind feeling tired all the time. Let’s delve into some of the common causes.

Sleep disturbance

This is one of the primary reasons why a certain majority of the population feels drained and exhausted. Sleep is necessary for both our brain and body. An inadequate amount of sleep can cause fatigue, drowsiness, and irritability during awake hours. These days, one prime cause of sleep disturbance is excessive screen time. This alerts the brain and leads to reduced sleep hours. On average, an adult needs around 7 to 9 hours of sleep every day. Sleep disturbance can also occur due to insomnia, sleep apnea, sinusitis, stress, and other causes.

Insufficient diet

Diet is the main source of energy for our body. Without an adequate diet, our body is unable to yield the energy required to perform routine tasks. Nutritional deficiencies can also include a lack of certain vitamins or minerals in the diet. For example, a low vitamin D level may cause less calcium absorption by the bones. This may result in generalized fatigue and tiredness. Malnutrition is another common cause. Eating disorders can also reduce your diet, affecting your work efficiency.

Psychological issues

Stress and depression are some of the common causes of fatigue. Whether you have gone through a traumatic event of being overburdened at work, any possible cause can affect your mental health to a considerable degree. This also influences your diet intake and sleep schedule. Therefore you always feel tired or exhausted.

Dehydration

As an adult, you must drink at least 8 to 10 glasses of water every day. This amount varies with the weather, weight, and a few other factors. However, adequate hydration is one of the most important factors to staying healthy and active. Lack of water in your body can affect the functions of multiple organs. Your blood volume may drop, which eventually leads to feelings of tiredness and dizziness. Severe dehydration can result in serious complications.

Anemia

Lack of red blood cells in your body is known as anemia. Anemia can occur due to various reasons. It may occur due to genetic causes, blood loss, nutritional deficiency, etc. Iron deficiency anemia is a common type that presents with symptoms of generalized fatigue and weakness. If you have a proper sleep, diet, and water intake and still feel constantly tired, you should visit a doctor to rule out the risk of anemia.

Medical conditions

Many medical conditions may make you feel tired and lethargic. These include viral and bacterial infections, allergic rhinitis, diabetes, hypothyroidism, chronic fatigue syndrome, congestive heart failure, kidney or liver failure, fibromyalgia, and cancer. There can be other conditions that may disrupt your appetite, sleep schedule, hydration level or cause psychological distress. As a result of multiple factors, you may not have enough energy reservoirs to perform your routine tasks efficiently. A doctor makes an accurate diagnosis after taking your history, examining your symptoms, and performing necessary diagnostic tests.

Menopause

Many women experience night sweats and hot flashes when going through menopause. The hormonal levels change during this period. This transitional period may be uncomfortable for women as their sleep schedule is compromised. If a female has any secondary illness during this time frame, that may also contribute to generalized weakness and tiredness.

What should be done?

If you feel tired consistently, try to improve your diet, sleep schedule, and hydration level. Exercise regularly as it promotes healthy metabolism and keeps you active. Despite having all other factors sorted, if you still feel tired, get yourself checked by a healthcare professional to look for possible causes. In case of stress or depression, it is beneficial to consult a therapist to help you improve your mental health. 
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