Adrenal Fatigue Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment
Stress. Some people have reported feeling increasingly fatigued these days. This might be an effect of the COVID-19 pandemic — or more specifically, of the stress it has caused. Changing responsibilities, added work, struggles with child care, financial pressures, and reduced social opportunities are just some of the stressors people now face, says Dr. Tung. And chronic stress can lead to fatigue. When you are under stress, it can cause levels of a hormone called cortisol to rise, which can trigger problems sleeping as well as feelings of anxiety and other symptoms.
Hormonal changes. “Hormonal changes can also contribute to shifts in metabolism and sleep disturbances, which lead to fatigue,” says Dr. Tung. A decline in female hormones, such as estrogen, during the menopause transition may induce hot flashes, which can lead to broken sleep. Hot flashes are brief episodes during which your body feels like it’s overheating. They can last for a few seconds or minutes. During a hot flash, your skin may flush, and you may start to sweat. If these occur at night, they can make it hard to sleep soundly and leave you dragging the next day.
Problems associated with the thyroid gland, a butterfly-shaped gland located at the front of your neck that regulates your metabolism, may also cause fatigue, says Dr. Tung. When the thyroid gland is underactive and produces inadequate levels of thyroid hormone (a condition called hypothyroidism), it can make you feel tired, in addition to other symptoms. Women are more likely than men to have thyroid disease, and incidence rif you are not eating a well-balanced diet, it may result in vitamin deficiencies that can sap your energy. Two of the most common are vitamin D and vitamin B12 deficiencies, says Dr. Tung. Fatigue is also sometimes brought on by dehydration.ses with age. Almost 20% of women over age 65 have an underactive thyroid gland.Perhaps the most obvious reason you might be feeling tired is that you are not getting adequate sleep. Sometimes this results from bad sleep habits. “Staying up late at night, too much screen time — those habits can definitely affect people’s energy level,” says Dr. Tung. People who have work schedules that require staying up all night may also have difficulty getting a consistent block of time to achieve restful, deep sleep. But inadequate sleep can also be caused by insomnia or poor sleep quality triggered by stress, or sleep disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea. If you have obstructive sleep apnea, tissues in your throat relax during sleep, periodically blocking your airway, causing breathing interruptions that disrupt sleep.Fatigue may be the predominant symptom in people with depression. Numerous medical conditions, including infections, anemia, heart disease, chronic kidney disease, cancer, neurological conditions, and autoimmune conditions also cause fatigue, says Dr. Tung. Certain medications can also make people feel tired or drowsy.
Fatigue may also be brought on by a sedentary lifestyle, so it is important to make sure you are getting enough physical activity. While it can be a challenge to get moving if you are tired all the time, exercise can help you feel better if you give it a chance. “I think as with any type of behavioral change, recognize that it is going to be difficult,” says Dr. Tung. Try to break things down into small, achievable goals. For example, you might start by doing two minutes of exercise a day, and then after a few days increase it to five minutes, and then 10 minutes, she says. Getting more physical activity into your day can also help you sleep more soundly at night.
Check your medications. Fatigue may be caused by certain medications, says Dr. Tung. If you are taking a new medication and suddenly experience fatigue, reach out to your doctor.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/fighting-fatigue