Why Am I So Tired All The Time?
Words by Katherine C. Eustaquio
Published in Action & Fitness Magazine June 2009 issue
When we feel tired, we immediately associate it with the lack of energy. Most people resort to quick fixes like stretching their muscles or drinking coffee (with double shots of espresso, of course) for that much-needed burst of energy. Ironically, these quick fixes do not fix the actual problem. Rather, they offer a limited amount of energy for you to carry out a limited number of chores. Soon, when you have depleted your energy supply, you’ll feel more tired that it’s almost painful.
We also relate tiredness with the lack of sleep. Facebook alone is enough to keep you wide-eyed ‘til the break of dawn. So at midday, you’ll doze off in front of your computer and pass it off as a legitimate power nap. But what if espresso and sleep aren’t enough? Isn’t it time to figure out why you feel so tried all the time? Stale coffee and Facebook are not the culprits. It’s the F word: Fatigue.
Fatigue vs. Weakness
The words fatigue and weakness are used interchangeably on a daily basis but they refer to two different sensations:
In order to combat fatigue, the first step is to determine where it comes from. Here are the leading causes of fatigue.
Sleep Apnea
If you’re not getting enough sleep or suffering from insomnia, feeling tired the next day is inevitable. But what if you wake up so many times in the middle of the night disrupting your sleep cycle?
Sleep Apnea is a sleep disorder where the upper airway is blocked and causes a person to stop breathing temporarily (10-20 seconds) many times during sleep without being aware of it. The repetitive awakening disrupts the sleep cycle, therefore causing fatigue the next day despite sleeping for 8-10 hours.
Anemia
Red blood cells contain an iron-rich protein called hemoglobin that carries oxygen from the lungs to the different organs and tissues inside the body. Anemia develops when there is a deficiency in healthy red blood cells. Fatigue occurs because the organs are not getting enough oxygen to function properly. Anemia is one of the leading causes of fatigue in women and is the most common blood condition today.
Undiagnosed Heart Disease
Sometimes, we find ourselves panting in exhaustion after doing exercises that used to be very easy.
This many be attributed to aging. However, if intense fatigue sets in after doing simple tasks, it might be a good idea to visit your doctor and have yourself checked up for possible heart disease.
Undiagnosed Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)
Common symptoms of UTI, an infection caused by bacteria in the urinary tract, include urgency or burning. However, not all people have obvious symptoms of UTI and it can go unnoticed and untreated for a long time. Since most signs of UTI are mild, fatigue is the best indicator of UTI.
Hypothyroidism
The thyroid gland controls the body’s metabolism. Hypothyroidism (under-active thyroid) is a condition that develops when there is an abnormally low production of thyroid hormones leaving one sluggish (sometimes, even depressed).
Caffeine Overload
Studies show that caffeine consumption aids in memory and learning and helps lower the risk of acquiring heart diseases. It is also widely proven that caffeine taken in forms of coffee, tea, sodas, and energy drinks are quite successful in giving bursts of energy any time of the day.
The operative word here is “overload.” Caffeine overload (normally in excess of 300 milligrams in relation to the body weight and caffeine tolerance level) can result in unnecessary fatigue or worse, caffeine intoxication.
Food Allergies
Different foods have different effects on people—some make you itch while some cause fatigue. Rudy Rivera, MD, author of Your Hidden Food Allergies are Making you Fat, writes that mild tolerance can cause drowsiness and exhaustion.
Published in Action & Fitness Magazine June 2009 issue
When we feel tired, we immediately associate it with the lack of energy. Most people resort to quick fixes like stretching their muscles or drinking coffee (with double shots of espresso, of course) for that much-needed burst of energy. Ironically, these quick fixes do not fix the actual problem. Rather, they offer a limited amount of energy for you to carry out a limited number of chores. Soon, when you have depleted your energy supply, you’ll feel more tired that it’s almost painful.
We also relate tiredness with the lack of sleep. Facebook alone is enough to keep you wide-eyed ‘til the break of dawn. So at midday, you’ll doze off in front of your computer and pass it off as a legitimate power nap. But what if espresso and sleep aren’t enough? Isn’t it time to figure out why you feel so tried all the time? Stale coffee and Facebook are not the culprits. It’s the F word: Fatigue.
Fatigue vs. Weakness
The words fatigue and weakness are used interchangeably on a daily basis but they refer to two different sensations:
Fatigue is clinically described as the feeling of tiredness, exhaustion, or lack of energy.
Weakness refers to the decrease or lack of physical strength in order to perform certain activities associated with the movement of muscles.In the U.S., fatigue, and weakness are the most common complaints of patients. In a recent poll, nearly 20% of American claim to be experiencing a high level of fatigue strong enough to disrupt their normal lives, 20-60% of which are associated with physical causes such as injuries and health concerns, while 40-80% stem from emotional causes.
In order to combat fatigue, the first step is to determine where it comes from. Here are the leading causes of fatigue.
Sleep Apnea
If you’re not getting enough sleep or suffering from insomnia, feeling tired the next day is inevitable. But what if you wake up so many times in the middle of the night disrupting your sleep cycle?
Sleep Apnea is a sleep disorder where the upper airway is blocked and causes a person to stop breathing temporarily (10-20 seconds) many times during sleep without being aware of it. The repetitive awakening disrupts the sleep cycle, therefore causing fatigue the next day despite sleeping for 8-10 hours.
Anemia
Red blood cells contain an iron-rich protein called hemoglobin that carries oxygen from the lungs to the different organs and tissues inside the body. Anemia develops when there is a deficiency in healthy red blood cells. Fatigue occurs because the organs are not getting enough oxygen to function properly. Anemia is one of the leading causes of fatigue in women and is the most common blood condition today.
Undiagnosed Heart Disease
Sometimes, we find ourselves panting in exhaustion after doing exercises that used to be very easy.
Undiagnosed Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)
Common symptoms of UTI, an infection caused by bacteria in the urinary tract, include urgency or burning. However, not all people have obvious symptoms of UTI and it can go unnoticed and untreated for a long time. Since most signs of UTI are mild, fatigue is the best indicator of UTI.
Hypothyroidism
The thyroid gland controls the body’s metabolism. Hypothyroidism (under-active thyroid) is a condition that develops when there is an abnormally low production of thyroid hormones leaving one sluggish (sometimes, even depressed).
Caffeine Overload
Studies show that caffeine consumption aids in memory and learning and helps lower the risk of acquiring heart diseases. It is also widely proven that caffeine taken in forms of coffee, tea, sodas, and energy drinks are quite successful in giving bursts of energy any time of the day.
Food Allergies
Different foods have different effects on people—some make you itch while some cause fatigue. Rudy Rivera, MD, author of Your Hidden Food Allergies are Making you Fat, writes that mild tolerance can cause drowsiness and exhaustion.
