What Are the Causes of Perpetual Exhaustion?

According to eMedicineHealth.com, around 20 percent of Americans say they have fatigue that interferes with their having a normal life. Physical factors cause 20 to 60 percent of this fatigue, and emotional causes result in the remainder. Mayoclinc.com. lists fatigue as the symptom of some 28 health conditions or lifestyle circumstances ranging from anemia and diabetes to excess physical activity and grief.

Lifestyle

• Diet and nutrition; sleep habits; exercise habits and working too many hours are all lifestyle factors that can lead exhaustion. Eating a diet high in refined carbohydrates such as white flour and sugar or unhealthy fats can lead to fatigue. Incorporating more fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins into your diet can help alleviate your feeling of exhaustion.

  Developing a regular sleep pattern; going to bed and waking up at the same time each day also can improve the quality of your sleep and lessen fatigue. Keeping a balance in your work schedule as far as not putting in too much overtime and always allowing time for exercise can help you feel more rested.

Medical Health

• Some medical causes for fatigue are some easily diagnosable conditions such as hyperthyroidism or type 1 diabetes, and some are more difficult to diagnose such as fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. If your exhaustion is persistent even after addressing any lifestyle changes that you need to make for better rest, schedule an appointment with your physician so she can examine you and test for possible medical issues that could be leading to your fatigue.

Medication Side Effects

• Some medications also can cause exhaustion. Some that have been associated with a feeling of fatigue are blood pressure medicines,steroids, sleeping pills, diuretics and antihistamines for allergies.

Emotional Health

• Stress, depression, post traumatic stress disorder, grief and anxiety are all possible causes of exhaustion. If you or your doctor suspect that an emotional issue is the cause of your exhaustion you may want to see a psychiatrist or psychologist to get treatment. These issues can be treated with lifestyle changes, therapy, medication or a combination of all three. Depression, anxiety and insomnia are closely related and your doctor will want to develop a full spectrum treatment plan if any of these conditions are leading to your fatigue.

What to do

• If your tiredness is affecting the quality of life on a day-to-day basis, and persists longer than two weeks, it is a good idea to talk to your doctor about it. She may want to examine you and run some tests to try to find out what is causing your exhaustion so that she can treat it. She may test for health problems such a hypothyroidism, diabetes, sleep apnea or anemia. If there are no apparent physical causes of your fatigue you may be referred to a psychiatrist or psychologist for psychological screening and/or medication for insomnia or depression.