If you’re tired after your final exams or late nights working, then you’re probably fine but if you notice exhausting symptoms, you should see your doctor.
Are you tired or exhausted? During the pandemic,the endless news cycle and likely unbalanced work/life balance could wear anybody out.
But there’s a difference between tiredness and fatigue.
“If you’re tired after a week of final exams or late nights at work, then you’re probably fine,” says Dr. Alyssa Dweck, MD, an OB-GYN at the Mount Kisco Medical Group in New York.
But if you constantly feel worn out and notice weight gain, appetite fluctuations, and a change in bowel movements, it could be a sign of an underactive thyroid.
Yes, fatigue happens to everyone, but if it doesn’t feel logical, then it’s worth getting it checked out.
According to Dr. Sherry Ross, MD, from Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California:
Feeling tired is a common symptom associated with a long list of medical conditions.
There are many causes of chronic fatigue, including infections, stress, trauma, immune disorders and depression.
Nutritionist Clarissa Lenherr from biohacking platform bioniq, Dr. Sherry Ross and Dr. Alyssa Dweck shared a list of symptoms that could explain why your tiredness could be a sign of something more serious.
Here are the five most common symptoms of fatigue advise by experts.
Changes in Mood
Clarissa said:
Have you noticed your mood is swinging a little more than usual? Are you having feelings of detachment, anxiety or even depression?
If the answer is yes, then these could be triggered by exhaustion.
When we are tired, we have less energy to respond to stressors, which can lead to heightened emotions and responses.
If you have noticed these feelings have lasted more than a month, Clarissa recommends reaching out to your local GP.
Still tired after eight hours of sleep
If you get enough sleep every night but you don’t feel refreshed or energized and still feel sluggish, you could have a problem.
Additionally, if you are not getting enough shut-eye because you are having trouble falling asleep, or if you do nod off, but find yourself waking up in the middle of the night, then this can contribute to your feelings of exhaustion.
Everyone deserves a good night’s sleep, but poor sleep is a common problem. It can cause stress, which in turn can affect your energy levels and mood.
The expert recommends implementing some sleep hygiene practices in order to optimize your sleep, such as avoiding caffeine too late in the day, reducing electronic use at night-time and downloading blue light blocking filters, as well as incorporating stress management into your bedtime routine.
Changes in weight
A bad night’s sleep can affect our weight, and when our bodies and minds are exhausted, we may find that our appetite changes as well.
For some, cravings for energy-rich foods increase as a response to a lack of energy. These energy-rich foods tend to be fast-acting carbohydrates, sugar and caffeine, and long-term consumption of these foods can lead to weight gain.
Conversely, if you are constantly tired then you may find that your appetite decreases, which can lead to unwanted weight loss.
Visit your doctor to discuss the problem and rule out other conditions such as an underactive thyroid, which can lead to weight gain, fatigue, lowered mood, and brain fog first.
Clarissa recommended to:
Check your thyroid markers such as TSH and T4 and rule out nutritional deficiencies that might be affecting your hunger and satiety.
Brain fog
When your brain is exhausted, it becomes harder to think, reason and focus.
Brain fog goes beyond the occasional tip-of-the-tongue feeling and is often a collection of symptoms including loss of clarity, memory changes, poor focus and concentration.
The nutritionist recommends getting tested if this lasts for more than a couple of weeks as brain fog can be the result of an underactive thyroid, hormonal imbalances, gut health conditions and nutritional deficiencies.
Changes in hair and skin
This is one of the most obvious signs of exhaustion is changes to your hair and skin.
With exhaustion, we may find that our skin becomes more dry, sullen or prone to breakouts and that our hair may thin and begin to fall out.
If your exhaustion is stress-related, this may fatigue the adrenal glands which produce many of our sex hormones.
A change in sex hormones, specifically DHEA and Testosterone, can lead to a change in hair growth.
Checking for nutritional deficiencies can rule out any underlying issues that might be causing your exhaustion and will allow you to supplement based on what your body requires.