Today we have a guest blogger Evlin Symon. She’s going to pass along some helpful information on the causes of fatigue and choices we can make to improve our energy levels.

With a more demanding lifestyle, there are many factors that can lead to the onset of fatigue. With extended working hours and the rise in work-related stress, it takes a considerable toll on the human body.

Unlike machines that can function without rest, human beings are susceptible to mental and physical exhaustion. Listed below are some of the most common causes of fatigue.

1. Lifestyle choices

Most people do not want to admit that their lifestyle can lead to the onset of fatigue. In addition to common cases of sleep deprivation, there is a host of other reasons that lead to physical exhaustion. Reliance on alcohol or drugs not only causes health issues, but it is also responsible for fatigue.

While excessive physical activities naturally lead to fatigue, a significant lack of it also produces the same result as the body becomes more ineffective at storing energy. Increasing levels of stress are also known to prevent the induction of REM during sleep, resulting in inadequate rest and the experience of fatigue.

Lastly, unhealthy eating habits can also cause fatigue as the body is not supplied with enough energy to sustain its activity level.

2. Use of medications

Another consequence of a hectic lifestyle is the body’s increased vulnerability to illnesses. Medications can help to treat the common illnesses but normally includes the side-effects of drowsiness and exhaustion. Antihistamines and cough syrups are the main sources of fatigue caused by medications.

3. High blood sugar, high fatigue level

As studies have shown, one of the symptoms that diabetic patients experience is the sudden susceptibility to fatigue. While doctors have been unable to accurately pinpoint the cause of this, it is widely acknowledged that it is due to the higher energy consumption required to cope with the changes in blood sugar level.

4. Stay happy!

Signs of depression cause a lower production of serotonin. This specific element is essentially the body’s internally alarm clock system. When it becomes unregulated, individuals with depression might find that they are wide awake at random hours and feel sleepy during the day.

Other than causing sleep disorders, depression also disrupts the energy supply to the body, resulting in fatigue at odd times of the day.

5. Oxygen starvation

Individuals who are susceptible to fatigue can be caused by a lack of oxygen. For instance, Anemia is a type of disorder that is characterized by the blood’s inability to supply oxygen throughout the body. People who suffer from anemia will experience dizziness, heart palpitations and brain fog.

Another type of condition that can cause fatigue is sleep apnea. This is defined by the lack of oxygen supply when the body is at sleep, resulting in inadequate rest and recuperation. Unless specifically tested for this condition, most people would not be aware of this illness.

6. Shed those pounds

Doctors have also warned that obesity is one of the primary factors leading up to increased fatigue. Based on this landmark study, health experts have been able to identify that the metabolic factors in obese individuals cause the prevalence of daytime sleepiness.

On the other hand, the onset of psychological distress causes fatigue in obese people and is unrelated to sleep apnea or sleep disruption as previously believed.

Conclusion

The exponential advancement of modern society has raised the standards by which human beings are expected to perform. More often than not, the level of work expected exceeds normal human capabilities and in striving to achieve these objectives, an unnecessary amount of stress is placed on the body.

It is an irony that the prevalence of fatigue in human beings is a direct consequence of unrealistic human expectations. Other than this vicious cycle, factors mentioned above can also lead to an increase in susceptibility to physical exhaustion.

While lifestyle choices can be changed to reduce the impact of fatigue, other health conditions such as diabetes and anemia require professional expertise to treat the disorder. If corrective measures fail to improve the situation, a thorough medical evaluation is advised to determine the course of persistent fatigue.

References
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022399910000620
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1196/annals.1367.023/abstract
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/tiredness-and-fatigue/Pages/medical-causes-of-tiredness.aspx
http://www.webmd.com/women/guide/why-so-tired-10-causes-fatigue
https://www.consumerhealthdigest.com/depression/fatigue.html
http://www.webmd.com/women/guide/why-so-tired-10-causes-fatigue?page=2
http://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/fatigue/basics/causes/sym-20050894

Evlin Symon is a health writer. She enjoys learning about a wide variety of wellness issues and staying up-to-date on the latest research. She is the author of many active blogs mostly writing on stress and anxiety.