Feeling
tired and exhausted is a part of everyone’s life, many times due to working too much or other triggers. However, doctors say it can also be your body’s way of signalling something is not going right. If it is coupled with a few other symptoms, chronic tiredness could be a major reason behind nine serious conditions that may require a doctor’s appointment right away.
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis, chronic fatigue syndrome makes you feel tired all the time. According to doctors, you may also have other signs like insomnia, brain fog, and memory issues. However, doctors say it can also be accompanied by other flu-like symptoms – fever, headaches, and aching joints or muscles.
Anemia
Anemia – also known as iron deficiency – is one of the most common conditions across the world. Not only does it make you feel tired all the time, but it can take a heavy toll – especially in women, affecting their health in a big way. Many women with anemia experience heavy bleeding during periods, suffering from blood loss.
Diabetes
Diabetes can make you extremely tired, as high blood sugar prevents body cells from getting the energy they need, causing imbalances, dehydration, and stress – all of which drain you. Doctors say it is not just normal tiredness but a persistent exhaustion that will not improve with rest. You need proper blood sugar management and medical attention to get over this.
Stress
Stress is a part of life and can come at any time. However, it causes a lot of issues – both mental and physical. Stress can lead to extremely high levels of cortisol, which affects your sleep quality, causing insomnia and unrefreshed sleep.
Thyroid
Hypothyroidism happens when the thyroid gland stops producing enough thyroid hormone, triggering a domino effect that causes your metabolism to slow down. It also leads to extreme tiredness and weight gain.
Deficiency of vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 helps with all the important bodily functions, which include the smooth working of your nervous system. However, its deficiency can lead to extreme tiredness along with other symptoms like sore tongues, mouth ulcers, and pins and needles sensations.
Glandular fever
Glandular fever is a viral infection mostly affecting teenagers and young adults. It gets better without treatment, but it can last for weeks and make you feel very ill. A few symptoms of glandular fever, apart from fatigue, include extremely high temperature, swollen glands in the neck, head, armpits, elbows, or groin, and sore throat.
Depression
Depression causes anxiety, significantly making you feel tired and fatigued all the time – due to disruption in brain chemistry, elevated stress, and interference with sleep. According to doctors, it is not normal sleepiness but a deep lack of energy and motivation, driven by neurotransmitter imbalances and constant mental alertness from worry.
Sleep apnea
Sleep apnea can lead to severe daytime tiredness and fatigue since it stops breathing - preventing deep, restorative sleep at night, which leads to constant exhaustion, poor concentration, irritability, and even falling asleep at inappropriate times like while driving. These disruptions disrupt normal sleep cycles, leaving your body and brain unable to fully recover, resulting in that "worn out" feeling.