Excessive Tiredness in the Body - Common Fatigue Triggers
Tiredness can stem from various lifestyle changes and medical factors, including poor diet, stress, insufficient sleep, and underlying medical conditions. Additionally, nutritional deficiencies or alcohol and drug abuse can contribute to the feeling of intense fatigue.
What are the Factors that Causes Tiredness in the Body?
Apart from lifestyle factors, such as lack of sleep, poor diet, and stress, that induce fatigue in your body. There are certain medical conditions which can cause excessive tiredness and disruption in energy levels in your body.
1. Lifestyle Factors
Let us discuss some of the common lifestyle factors that contribute to tiredness in daily life:
- Poor Diet: Consuming diets without an adequate supply of essential nutrients, proteins, and carbohydrates can cause fatigue.
- Insufficient Sleep: Not getting proper or sufficient restful sleep is one of the main causes of tiredness throughout the day.
- Sedentary Lifestyle: Living a life with a lack of physical activities can contribute to fatigue.
- Alcohol or Drug Overuse: Regular consumption of sedative drugs, like cannabis or alcohol, can affect energy levels and disrupt the sleep cycle.
- Medications: Frequent use of over-the-counter medications, like antihistamines or cough syrups, can cause fatigue.
2. Medical Conditions and Deficiencies
Here, we will discuss these medical conditions and deficiencies that contribute to fatigue:
- Anaemia: Low levels of iron in the blood can cause fatigue due to limited oxygen supply to the entire body.
- Nutrient Deficiencies: Deficiencies in essential nutrients, such as Vitamins B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, and B12, can cause fatigue. Iron or magnesium can also cause fatigue.
- Hormonal Changes: Puberty, menopause, or pregnancy can alter the hormonal physiological balance, leading to fatigue or drowsiness.
- Infections: Certain illnesses, such as COVID-19 and glandular fever, can cause fatigue.
- Thyroid Problems: Higher or lower levels of thyroid hormones can disrupt energy levels, leading to drowsiness and tiredness.
- Chronic Illnesses: Chronic conditions like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease can lead to fatigue due to the immense immune response within the body.
Why is My Energy So Low?
Various factors can disrupt your body’s energy level while doing daily activities, from morning to night. Here, we will discuss the factors that cause a lowering of energy levels in your body:
- Dehydration : Insufficient amounts of water in your body can hamper the physiology of metabolism, which eventually compromises energy production. It reduces the body’s ability to deliver oxygen to the tissues, including the brain. A lower water level inside the body decreases the blood volume, which forces the heart to pump more blood and circulate all over the body.
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome : Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), also known as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, exhibits symptoms like persistent fatigue. The fatigue or tiredness does not improve after resting and worsens after any physical or mental activities. If anyone is suffering from this condition, they may experience extreme tiredness and lethargy during the day.
- Mental Health Issues : Consistent depression or anxiety can lead to reduced motivation, disruption in sleep cycles, and increased cortisol levels. These can lead to chronic fatigue and affect energy levels in the body. Additionally, mental health issues can affect cognitive function, making it difficult to manage daily tasks and concentrate.
- Eating Processed Foods : Frequent consumption of processed foods can lead to a lowering of energy levels, including nutritional deficiencies and the presence of unhealthy and additive fats. Additionally, daily consumption of processed foods can cause rapid fluctuations in blood sugar levels, which can increase the blood sugar level.
- Overworking : Overworking or long hours of work can disrupt the body’s natural energy level, causing disruption in the sleep cycle and an increase in stress levels. Apart from this, overworking exhausts the body’s resources, making both your mind and body unable to function optimally.
How to Reduce Tiredness?
Fatigue is extremely common due to stressful life and long working hours. Fortunately, there are many ways to reduce tiredness and boost energy.
In this section, we will discuss different ways to reduce tiredness:
- Prioritise Sleep: Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep and establish a regular sleep schedule.
- Maintain a Healthy Diet: Focus on whole and unprocessed foods, such as vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, and whole grains.
- Engage in Regular Exercise: Start doing physical activities that you enjoy, like walking, swimming, and cycling slowly and do not push yourself beyond the threshold limit.
- Manage Stress: Identify and address stressors and practice relaxation techniques, such as meditation, deep breathing, or yoga.
Tiredness or fatigue makes it difficult to wake up in the morning and do all the activities throughout the day. If you experience any persistent or unexplained fatigue, consult a doctor as soon as possible.