Fatigue is a very common symptom of many diseases… It is much different from “simply being tired” and does NOT resolve with extra sleep. Intense fatigue can completely consume a person’s life and make it difficult to function normally. There are many medial reasons why a person may suffer from long term energy problems. Some of these problems can be easily diagnosed with standard blood tests, but others can be a little bit more complicated.
If you often ask, why am i so tired?
…you might want to check out the top “7 most common medical causes of fatigue”:
1. Anemia
Anemia is caused by lack of hemoglobin in the red blood cells. Hemoglobin is essential for delivering oxygen to various tissues within the body. Low hemoglobin would lead lower than normal 
oxygen levels, pale skin, shortness of breath, and less of an ability to concentrate.
There are also different causes for anemia that would include iron deficiency, B12 deficiency, blood loss, and problems with the production of red blood cells in the bone marrow or stem cells.
2. Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a disorder that results from improper breathing during sleep. A sufferer can sometimes stop breathing for a short period of time or take shallow breaths. This leads to lower than normal oxygen levels in the bloodstream and symptoms like fatigue, concentration problems, and vision problems can result.
Sleep apnea also prevents quality sleep, because it can cause a person to wake up many times during the night. The inability to get good sleep can lead to severe fatigue. Treatments for sleep apnea can include the avoidance of medications that can lead to obstructed airflow in the throat, a CPAP machine, or even surgery to remove tissue in the throat.
3. Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism is an illness which is caused by lower than normal production of hormones in the thyroid gland. These hormones are responsible for metabolism and energy production in the body. A deficiency of T3 and T4 levels in the body can be diagnosed with a blood test.
Low levels of thyroid hormone can lead to numerous symptoms including fatigue problems, depression, and weight gain. Many people have this disorder for a long period of time before it is diagnosed. It can be caused by an auto immune disorder called Hashimoto’s disease where the immune system attacks the thyroid gland, a deficiency of iodine, or problems with the pituitary or hypothalamus stimulating the thyroid gland.
The treatment for hypothyroidism is the replacement of thyroid hormones with medication.
4. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Chronic fatigue syndrome is a very misunderstood illness with no known cause. Currently it is defined as “severe fatigue that lasts longer than 6 months, which is not relieved by rest”. Also known as CFS, it is diagnosed only by excluding all other medical issues that can lead to these symptoms. Other symptoms that are frequently associated with CFS are brain fog, insomnia, joint problems, and muscle pain.
The only treatments that are available for chronic fatigue syndrome focus on improving symptoms like sleep. Many people with CFS turn to alternative treatments, due to the lack of mainstream medical support. Alternative treatments that can be effective in these patients are Vitamin B12, NAC, and methylation support.
5. Heart Disease
Impaired heart function can lower the supply of oxygen when blood is not pumped sufficiently. Fatigue along with other symptoms like chest pain, heart palpitations, or fainting may signal some type of heart problem. This is very serious and a doctor should be contacted immediately if you experience any of these problems.
There are different types of heart disease including congestive heart failure, congenital heart defects, and coronary artery disease. The treatments for these problems would vary greatly depending on the condition.
6. Cancer
Cancer is a disease caused by environmental and genetic factors that can spread into many types of tissues in the body. When a person has cancer, some of the symptoms likes fatigue, poor appetite, and sweating can be caused by disruptions to our immune or hormonal systems. These are treated by killing or removing the cancer cells.
Radiation treatments for cancer can also cause fatigue problems. This may be a result of inflammation in the body or the radiation’s affect on bone marrow.
7. Lyme Disease
Lyme is an infectious disease that is caused by Borrelia bacteria from a tick bite. This bacteria lives inside the tick and is transfered to the human host when the tick feeds on the person’s blood. For most people Lyme disease resolves very quickly after treatment from antibiotics. Long term symptoms including fatigue and neurological problems are rare, but can last thoughout a person’s life. Some doctors may treat these problems with high dose antibiotics, but this type of intervention is still experimental.
Summary
There are many different illnesses that can cause fatigue. Feeling tired after a long day’s work is very normal, but if this feeling persists after adequate rest, it may be a sign of another medical issue. Visiting a doctor for a full physical may help to determine the cause of unrelenting fatigue.
