Yahoo News Five hidden health conditions that make you tired and the signs to look out for
Being tired can be common for many people across the UK, with many Brits guilty of snoozing in front of the TV or on the sofa. But sometimes fatigue is about more than a lack of sleep.
On some occasions, it could be important to seek medical advice. According to the NHS, it is normal to feel tired sometimes but you many want to see your GP if it is happening too often.
It said: "It's normal to feel tired sometimes. But if you're tired all the time and do not know why, it could be a sign of a problem."
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It added: "If you cannot explain why you're tired and it's been going on for a while and not getting any better, it may be a sign of a medical condition. Your symptoms might give you an idea of what's causing your tiredness or fatigue. But do not self-diagnose – see a GP if you're worried."
There are many causes of tiredness and fatigue. These can include:
Not getting enough sleep or finding it hard to get to sleep ( insomnia )
An unhealthy lifestyle (such as having an unhealthy diet and not getting much exercise)
Stress, depression and dealing with challenges, such as bereavement or looking after a new baby
Hormonal changes (such as during puberty, pregnancy or the menopause )
Some illnesses, like glandular fever and COVID-19
Some medical treatments and medicines, like chemotherapy, which can cause drowsiness for a while
Conditions which can cause tiredness and fatigue
Sleep Apnoea
Sleep apnoea is when your breathing stops and starts while you are asleep. It happens when your airways become too narrow while sleeping, stopping you breathing properly.
It has been linked to:
Having a large neck
Getting older – although children and young adults can also get it
Having other family members with sleep apnoea
Smoking and drinking alcohol
Having large tonsils or adenoids
Sleeping on your back
Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is the most common. Sleep apnoea needs to be treated as it can lead to more serious problems including high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease or depression.
It can take years to be spotted so if you think you might have it, ask someone to watch you as you sleep. It can sometimes be treated by making lifestyle changes such as losing weight, giving up smoking and reducing how much alcohol you drink.
Many people need to use a device called a CPAP machine which pumps air into a mask you wear over your mouth or nose while you sleep. This can be provided on the NHS.
Symptoms include:
Breathing stopping and starting
Making gasping, snorting or choking noises
Waking up a lot
Loud snoring
During the day, you may also:
Feel very tired
Find it hard to concentrate
Have mood swings
Have a headache when you wake up
Iron deficiency anaemia
Lack of energy, noticeable heartbeats (heart palpitations), shortness of breath and pale skin could be a sign of Iron deficiency anaemia. This is caused by a lack of iron - often because of blood loss or pregnancy.
It can be treated with iron tablets and by eating iron-rich foods. If your GP suspects you have an iron deficiency, blood tests will look at your red blood cell count.
Symptoms of iron deficiency anaemia can include:
Tiredness and lack of energy
Shortness of breath
Noticeable heartbeats (heart palpitations)
Paler than usual skin
Headaches
Diabetes
Feeling very tired and thirsty, peeing more often than usual - particularly at night -and weight loss could be indicators of diabetes. This is a condition that causes a person's blood sugar level to become too high.
It develops when your pancreas does not make enough insulin or any at all, or when your body is not responding to the effects of insulin properly. There are two types.
Type 1 diabetes is a lifelong condition where the body's immune system attacks and destroys the cells that produce insulin. Type 2 diabetes is where the body does not produce enough insulin, or the body's cells do not react to insulin properly.
Type 2 diabetes is more common than type 1. In the UK, more than 90 per cent of all adults with diabetes have type 2.
There are no lifestyle changes you can make to lower your risk of type 1 diabetes., but you can can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes through healthy eating, regular exercise and achieving a healthy body weight.
You may be more at risk of type 2 diabetes if you:
Are living with overweight or obesity
Do not have a healthy diet
Have a family history of type 2 diabetes
Are of Asian, Black African or African Caribbean origin
Take certain medicines such as steroids for a long time
Have high blood pressure
Have had gestational diabetes during pregnancy
Type 1 diabetes can develop quickly over weeks or even days. Weight loss is common in people with type 1 diabetes when it first develops and before it's treated, but is less common in people with type 2 diabetes.
Many people have type 2 diabetes for years without realising as early symptoms tend to be general or there are no symptoms at all.
Symptoms of diabetes include:
Feeling very thirsty
Peeing more frequently than usual, particularly at night
Feeling very tired
Weight loss and loss of muscle bulk
Itching around the penis or vagina, or frequent episodes of thrush
Blurred vision
Overactive thyroid
If you are tired all the time, find it hard to stay still, feel nervous, anxious and irritable and experience muscle weakness it could be an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism). This is where the thyroid gland produces too much of the thyroid hormones.
The thyroid is a small butterfly-shaped gland in the neck, in front of the windpipe (trachea). It produces hormones which affect things such as your heart rate and body temperature.
The NHS says having too much of these hormones can cause unpleasant and potentially serious problems which may need treatment. An overactive thyroid can affect anyone, but it is about 10 times more common in women than men.
It typically happens between 20 and 40 years of age. An overactive thyroid can cause a wide range of symptoms, including:
Nervousness, anxiety and irritability
Mood swings
Persistent tiredness and weakness
Sensitivity to heat
Swelling in your neck from an enlarged thyroid gland (goitre)
An irregular and/or unusually fast heart rate (palpitations)
Twitching or trembling
A blood test can see how well your thyroid is working. An overactive thyroid can be treated with medication, a form of radiotherapy or sometimes surgery.
ME/CFS
If you have experienced extreme fatigue for at least three months which is so bad it is very difficult to carry out daily activities and you are having problems with thinking, memory and concentration or flu-like symptoms it could be myalgic encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). This can affect anyone, including children.
The four main symptoms of ME/CFS are:
Feeling extremely tired all the time (fatigue), which can make daily activities like taking a shower, or going to work or school, difficult
Sleep problems, including insomnia, sleeping too much, feeling like you have not slept properly and feeling exhausted or stiff when you wake up
Problems with thinking, concentration and memory (brain fog)
Symptoms getting worse after physical or mental activity, and possibly taking weeks to get better (also called post-exertional malaise, or PEM)
Some people with ME/CFS also have pain in different parts of the body or flu-like symptoms, such as high temperature, headache and aching joints or muscles. But symptoms of ME/CFS are similar to the symptoms of some other illnesses, so it is important to see a GP.
The cause of ME is unknown and there is no cure - but there are ways of managing symptoms including making the best use of your energy and medication to control pain and sleep problems.
