Feeling tired all of the time and not feeling like you are getting enough good quality sleep can take its toll on your physical and mental health. And many people living with chronic conditions say tiredness and exhaustion are one of the worst parts of their illness, as there is no respite or escape.
In many cases, increased tiredness can be down to lifestyle factors such as daytime naps, excessive alcohol consumption, poor diet, and too much caffeine, for example. However, in some cases, there might be an underlying health issue that is affecting your ability to rest properly, leaving you feeling under the weather.
Diabetes
You have probably asked yourself does diabetes make you tired before, and the answer is yes. Around half of the people living with diabetes have excessive exhaustion. This includes other symptoms such as excessive thirst and increased urination, foot pain, weight loss, cuts and sores that don’t heal quickly and even blurred vision. Diabetes can affect your life in many different ways, and as such, you need to get your tiredness checked by a doctor to rule this out or to get you the treatment you need should it be a symptom of diabetes.
Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a chronic health condition that still baffles doctors to this day. It has a range of symptoms that sufferers can experience, and fatigue is one of them. In fact, it is the main aspect of fibromyalgia as the body doesn’t get enough restful sleep leaving people feeling exhausted no matter how much they sleep. Sadly, there isn’t much you can do in this instance except try lifestyle changes to see if this can help. But many people living with fibromyalgia go on to experience exhaustion most days on top of chronic pain, digestive issues, and limited movement in some cases.
Anaemia
In the UK, around 14% of non-pregnant women and 23% of pregnant women become anaemic. Anaemia in men is increasingly rare. Anaemia can have many different symptoms, and while, in most cases, it can be rectified with a course of iron tablets from your GP, it might be a sign of something more serious at play. If you are tired, have shortness of breath, feel lightheaded or dizzy, notice heart palpitations and have cold hands and feet, it might be worth booking in for some tests to diagnose anaemia or check if something else is happening.
Heart Disease
Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in the UK and can often go unnoticed for a long time, or symptoms be brushed off as something else. Heart disease can often present as shortness of breath or extreme fatigue; you have pain in your arm, chest, or jaw, and you might suffer from heart disease or heart-related conditions that need urgent treatment. Many times, a lifestyle change can support your treatment plan for heart disease and losing weight and exercising more can be beneficial. However, if you already do these things and are still exerting symptoms, you need to check your heart to find out what is going on.
Conclusion
It is normal to feel tired a lot in life. After all, our lives are becoming increasingly busy. However, fatigue and regular tiredness are two completely different things and must be treated as such.
