We have all experienced being tired at one point or another- after a hectic day at work, following a vigorous aerobic exercise, after playing a sport. To feel tired after a highly physical activity is normal. But many people experience tiredness even upon waking up in the morning, despite a seemingly long sleep. Are you one of them? Do you often feel a lack of energy for apparently no reason at all? In order to address this problem, the first step is to know what is causing it.
Here are the 4 most common causes of extreme tiredness:
4th Most Common Cause: Medical Conditions
Many diseases and disorders can trigger fatigue, including the flu, anemia, and sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea or restless leg syndrome. Hormonal problems, heart ailments, and cancer are also known to cause fatigue. Certain medications, especially those used to treat chronic illnesses, also bring about extreme tiredness. The source of one's extreme tiredness can be even harder to trace if one has undiagnosed medical problems. When experiencing abnormal physiological conditions, it is best to see a doctor.
3rd Most Common Cause: Emotional concerns and stress.
Studies suggest that psychological factors are present in at least 50% of fatigue cases. Emotional concerns may include depression, chronic anxiety, emotional stress, and excessive grief, especially that due to loss of a loved one.
2nd Most Common Cause: Workplace issues
This is widespread especially in the working population who juggle their work priorities, family concerns, and social life. Examples of tiredness triggers in the workplace are shift work and poor workplace practices such as working long hours, hard physical labor, irregular working hours (such as rotating shifts), stressful work environment, and even boredom. Social factors at work such as working alone with little or no interaction with others and fixed concentration on a repetitive task are also known culprits. Workplace stress caused by a wide range of factors including job dissatisfaction, heavy workload, conflicts with superiors or colleagues, bullying, constant and unwanted change, and threats to job security are also known culprits. Recently, burnout among workaholics, the result of striving too hard in the work area while neglecting everything else, tends to drain all their energies from other aspects of their lives. Even among the unemployed, financial pressures, feelings of failure or guilt, and the emotional exhaustion of prolonged job hunting can lead to fatigue.
And finally the most common cause of extreme tiredness: Unhealthy lifestyle choices
In the absence of a medical illness, psychological problems, and work-related stress, lifestyle choice is the most prevalent cause of extreme tiredness among all ages. Common lifestyle choices that can cause fatigue include: lack of sleep, too much sleep, intake of alcohol and drugs, sleep disturbances, absence or lack of regular exercise, and poor diet. In some cases, extreme tiredness is caused by a combination of these factors.
Diagnosis can be difficult making treatment even harder. Consequences of extreme tiredness can even be worse. To avoid this plague, it is best that we know the triggers and avoid them at all cost. As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
