Stress, anxiety, depression, viruses, or sleep problems usually cause fatigue. Non-medical treatments may be effective in treating fatigue, like cognitive behavioural therapy. You should see your doctor if fatigue continues for more than 2 weeks.
Acute Fatigue as Urgent/Emergent
If the fatigue is associated with chest pain, shortness of breath, irregular heart rate, or sense of imminent passing out, these are urgent conditions that warrant immediate medical attention. These could be symptoms of a serious heart condition or major vascular insufficiency.
Medical causes – unrelenting exhaustion may be a sign of an underlying illness, such as a thyroid disorder, heart disease or diabetes. Lifestyle-related causes – alcohol or drugs or lack of regular exercise can lead to feelings of fatigue. Workplace-related causes – workplace stress can lead to feelings of fatigue.
But feeling tired all the time isn't normal and could be a sign of an underlying medical issue. If you always feel tired and it's interfering with your quality of life, it's important to figure out why. First, see your doctor to rule out health-related conditions that could be causing your chronic fatigue, like: Anemia.
If you don't get enough vitamins and minerals in your diet, or enough glucose (sugar) in your blood, this can make you feel tired, lack energy and feel foggy. Not having enough iron in your blood can cause fatigue. This is called Iron deficiency. It may be that you're not getting enough iron in your diet.
Many people with diabetes will describe themselves as feeling tired, lethargic or fatigued at times. It could be a result of stress, hard work or a lack of a decent night's sleep but it could also be related to having too high or too low blood glucose levels.
Muscle weakness is commonly due to lack of exercise, ageing, muscle injury or pregnancy. It can also occur with long-term conditions such as diabetes or heart disease. There are many other possible causes, which include stroke, multiple sclerosis, depression, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome (ME).
However, most people start experiencing a decline in their energy levels by the time they reach their mid-thirties. And this decline in energy levels can be attributed to various factors, including changes in metabolism, hormonal changes, and lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, and stress.
Another common symptom of chronic anxiety is weakness in the muscles, most commonly experienced in the legs and sometimes the arms. During the fight or flight response, the body is preparing to take action against danger.
There are three types of fatigue: transient, cumulative, and circadian: Transient fatigue is acute fatigue brought on by extreme sleep restriction or extended hours awake within 1 or 2 days.
If you suddenly feel weak, shaky, or lightheaded—or if you even faint—you could be experiencing hypoglycemia. A headache that comes on quickly, weakness or tremor in your arms or legs, and a slight trembling of your body are also signs that your blood sugar is too low.
Blurry vision, increased urination, feeling hungry, extreme thirst, and finding that you have itchy, dry skin are all warning signs that you could be in the early stages of type 2 diabetes. Some other signs may be harder to pin down.
Causes of lightheadedness may be dehydration, medication side effects, sudden blood pressure drops, low blood sugar, and heart disease or stroke. Feeling woozy, lightheaded, or a little faint is a common complaint among older adults.
The immediate treatment for hypoglycaemia is to have some food or drink that contains sugar, such as dextrose tablets or fruit juice, to correct your blood glucose levels. After having something sugary, you may need to have a longer-acting "starchy" carbohydrate food, such as a sandwich or a few biscuits.
Sudden leg weakness can be a cause for concern and should prompt immediate medical attention. Some causes of sudden leg weakness include stroke (due to a decrease in oxygen reaching parts of the brain), spinal cord damage, or a pinched nerve coming out of the spinal cord.
There's no test for myalgic encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), but there are clear guidelines to help doctors diagnose the condition. A GP should ask you about your medical history and give you a physical examination.
Everyday fatigue that is not illness-related starts with a baseline of health. You may feel sleepy, you may in fact be sleep-deprived, or your body and mind may be worn out from long hours, exertion, or unrelenting stress — but you don't feel sick. Your muscles and joints don't ache like when you have the flu.