There are so many causes of fatigue, and we tend to ignore fatigue until it interferes with our daily lives in a very dramatic way. We say “I’m getting older” or “I’m working hard”, but the TRUTH is that we should feel vital and full of energy if we are in a healthy, balanced state regardless of age or occupation.
Common Causes of Fatigue
Sleep disorders cause a lot of us to be fatigued. Some are obvious: we know we have trouble falling asleep or we wake up several times during the night. We may be taking stimulant medications or suffer with a diagnosed mental disorder. We may suffer with restless leg syndrome or frequent urination due to drugs or an enlarged prostate…Some causes are not as obvious: we are deprived of oxygen while we are sleeping and keeping ourselves from entering the deepest levels of sleep, we may be having nightmares or anxiety that is not manifesting during the daytime hours.
Depression and/or anxiety go hand in hand with fatigue. There is often a causal relationship between these symptoms and feeling tired. This type of clinical picture requires further investigation by your Naturopathic Physician.
Anemia and other blood disorders can cause fatigue. Our blood carries oxygen to all of our tissues. If there is a disorder of the blood cells or blood composition caused by genetic disorders or dietary deficiencies, it may cause fatigue.
Additionally, our heart is responsible for pumping this blood to our entire body. If the heart is failing or struggling to perform optimally, it may have the same effect with decreased oxygenation of tissues.
Decreased oxygen can originate in the lungs also. Chronic pulmonary diseases such as emphysema, chronic bronchitis, asthma, or cystic fibrosis decrease our body’s ability to oxygenate our blood, leading to fatigue.