Why You’re Always Tired: Discover the Hidden Causes and How to Fix Them
There’s a big difference between a bad night’s sleep and constant fatigue. When you’re exhausted all the time, you don’t have the energy or motivation to do the things you love. Fatigue turns every day into a struggle.
The good news is that it doesn’t have to be that way. The key is discovering why you’re tired all the time. When you find out the underlying cause, you’ll be able to take action. Ending fatigue will not only leave you energized. It will improve your outlook. After all, it’s hard to feel happy or enthusiastic when you’re fatigued. Here are a few reasons why you’re always tired along with some simple solutions.
A Vitamin Deficiency Can Cause Constant Fatigue
Around twenty percent of Americans had problems sleeping consistently last month. Even more had at least one sleepless night per week. There are many reasons for interrupted sleep. Often sleep issues or near constant fatigue is rarely the only symptom. If you are always tired, you might also feel depressed or anxious. You may experience joint or muscle fatigue. If you’re exhausted all the time, you might have trouble getting to sleep or remaining asleep throughout the night. During the day, you might also be anxious, irritable, or have trouble concentrating.
Your eating habits play an outsized role in how well you sleep at night and how energized you feel during the day. If your diet isn’t filled with fruit, vegetables, lean protein, whole grains, and fiber you could have a vitamin deficiency.
Vitamin’s B9 and B12 are energizing vitamins. That’s one reason that if you are deficient in them, you will likely feel tired all the time. Working in concert, this pair of “Bs”play an essential role in the formation of red blood cells. When you are not getting enough B9, also known as folate, your body’s normal production of red blood cells is inhibited. This can lead to anemia. Because your body has a reduced number of red blood cells, they are hindered in their job of delivering oxygen throughout your body. Since your systems aren’t functioning as well as they should, you may feel constant fatigue.
Having a vitamin B deficiency can lead to a condition called megaloblastic anemia. This is when not only do you have fewer red blood cells but the remaining ones are large and shaped like ovals (healthy red blood cells are round). Often the lifespan of these large, oval-shaped red blood cells is briefer than healthy cells. Along with feeling tired all the time, you may also be irritable, have pale skin, and an upset stomach. Diet plays a large role in this. So eating more beans, whole grains, vegetables, and citrus fruits can reverse this condition. If you regularly drink alcoholic beverages, reducing your consumption can also help as many drinkers have less B9 than they should.
Vitamin B12 also plays an important part in our body’s creation of DNA and red blood cells. It’s also a vitamin that around 90% of vegans and vegetarians are deficient in. That’s because the best sources are animal protein like beef and chicken, along with eggs, diary products, and shellfish.
One of the first signs that you may have a vitamin B12 deficiency is constant fatigue. Along with feeling tired all the time, other signs include numbness of the extremities and difficulty remembering. If you’re a vegetarian or vegan, even if you don’t have these symptoms you should be regularly tested for a B12 deficiency. That’s because people on plant-based diets usually consume large amounts of B9. Unfortunately, this can keep the symptoms of megaloblastic anemia hidden while the disease itself continues to progress.
Vitamin D is produced by exposure to sunlight. It is also found in fortified dairy products and cereals. Because so many Americans spend the daylight hours indoors, vitamin D deficiency is extremely common. Studies suggest that nearly half of all adult Americans don’t get enough vitamin D. Three out of four adults over 65 are deficient while 82% of people with dark skin are deficient (because their skin doesn’t produce as much vitamin D from the sun.)
The easiest way to fight a vitamin D deficiency is through consistent, controlled sun exposure. That’s because in most people, 80% of their vitamin D comes from UV exposure. During the warmer months, that can mean as little as ten minutes of midday exposure. In the winter, it will take considerably longer. It’s possible to burn even when it’s overcast. So if you are fair-skinned or prone to sunburn, always wear sunscreen. Because sunscreen can slightly inhibit vitamin D production, some experts suggest going without for brief periods. Those who are dark skinned will need to increase exposure.
Eating foods that are rich in vitamin D, including fatty fish like trout, tuna, or salmon, liver, egg yolks and fortified foods can also help. Use caution when taking vitamin D supplements. Check the label to make sure it contains vitamin D3 and watch how much you ingest. Because it’s a fat soluble vitamin, it’s possible to overdose on vitamin D. Taking more than the recommended dose of 600 IU for people ages 1 to 70 years, and 800 IU for people over 70 years can cause weight loss, nausea, vomiting, and kidney stones.
You don’t even need to leave your living room to discover if you have a vitamin deficiency, By downloading the Kyla app, you’ll be able to order an online test to see not only if you are deficient in levels of B9, B12, or D but also heart, kidney, and liver health along with inflammation markers that can increase your cancer risk. Many other companies charge hundreds of dollars for these tests but Kyla’s at-home blood test is just $99. Your insurance could even cover this cost.
To begin download the Kyla app or go to the Kyla website. Following a simple series of questions about your health and your family history, you can order the right test for you. After downloading the Kyla App, you’ll also be able to enroll in Kyla’s Anti-Aging Program. So not only will you discover your deficiencies and why you’re always tired, you’ll learn how to boost your energy through exercise, diet, and other lifestyle changes.
After receiving the test kit, follow the simple directions for collecting a few drops of blood. Then mail the sample back to Kyla’s labs postage-free. The results you’ll receive will let you know if you’re deficient in vitamin D, B9, B12, or if another issue is cause for concern.
Feeling Tired All the Time is a Diabetes Symptom
Constant fatigue caused by type 2 diabetes can happen even when you are eating consistently. That’s because a hallmark of diabetes is excessively high blood sugar levels circulating throughout the bloodstream. Instead of being used by cells to transform sugar into energy, the sugar or glucose isn’t absorbed.Because your body can’t access your blood sugar, you’ll likely feel tired and lacking energy.
When your pancreas is functioning as it should, the organ is constantly sending small amounts of insulin into your bloodstream. This is how it maintains healthy blood sugar levels. Unfortunately, whenever your blood sugar spikes, the organ reacts by producing excess insulin. Over time, this can lead to insulin resistance. This is when glucose becomes less responsive and isn’t absorbed by the cells as quickly. This causes the pancreas to produce more insulin.
Glucose absorption is vital for not only keeping your blood sugar level even but also as a regulator. Feeling tired all the time is usually one of the first signs of low blood sugar or hypoglycemia. Other signs include dizziness and irritability. High blood sugar, or hyperglycemia, can also lead to constant fatigue. Other signs include excessive thirst, recurrent infections, and numbness.
Both low and high blood sugar levels can be managed with lifestyle adjustments. Switching to a diet low in processed foods and added sugar but high in whole foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains and fiber can help. So does consistent exercise.
The first step is learning your levels – do you have high blood sugar or another condition? If you have any type 2 diabetes symptoms, including being always tired, then it’s important to get a blood test. Along with checking for a vitamin deficiency, Kyla’s at-home test will also help you learn if you have healthy blood sugar levels.
Don’t wait. If you have diabetes symptoms, download the app today.
Constant Fatigue Can Also Indicate Kidney Issues
If your kidneys aren’t functioning at an optimal level it can cause you to feel tired all the time. One reason for this is that when your kidneys aren’t working well, toxins accumulate in the blood. This can lead to constant fatigue. The other reason you may feel tired is because kidney disease can lead to an iron deficiency.
Untreated kidney disease saps your energy because it even affects the quality and quantity of your sleep. Many people with kidney disease are also overweight which increases their risk of having apnea. This condition is when breathing is interrupted during sleep – often causing the person experiencing it to wake up gasping for air. Toxins in the blood of people with kidney disease also affect sleep. High blood pressure can damage the kidneys – so although hypertension often doesn’t have symptoms, kidney issues are warning sign.
The first step is to determine if your kidneys are functioning properly. Along with hormone and blood sugar levels, Kyla’s at-home Primary Care Panel provides information on kidney and heart health.
Other Reasons For Feeling Always tired
Although cortisol levels have not been definitely linked to constant fatigue, if you’re exhausted all the time and experiencing chronic stress then getting a cortisol test can help rule out other causes. If you do have high cortisol levels, lifestyle changes can help. Kyla includes a cortisol test as part of their Hormone and Vitamin Panel. It is also one the tests provided in their Primary Care Panel.
A steroid hormone created in your adrenal glands, cortisol is an important part of your body’s internal regulation. Along with extending the fight-or-flight response, it awakens you in the morning while also overseeing blood pressure and blood sugar level along with metabolism. Unlike many other chemical components in our body, cortisol production rises as we get older.
including cortisol.
Along with stress, diets high in salt, sugar, fat, and animal proteins have been linked to high cortisol levels. Blue light from electronic devices can also increase cortisol levels.
Along with constant fatigue, weight gain is often a sign of hypothyroidism. Located at the base of your neck, the thyroid gland oversees your metabolism and how efficiently your body converts food to fuel. Hypothyroidism is when the gland doesn’t metabolize as quickly. The result is a lack of energy. If you are worried about hypothyroidism, download the Kyla app and order an test. If you have suboptimal thyroid levels, there are treatments including synthetic hormones.
Of course one reason you may be feeling tired all the time, is because you are not getting enough sleep. Although inadequate sleep is often an indicator of an underlying health issue, it can also be because you aren’t devoting enough time to bedtime. The solution here is simple. Make getting seven hours of sleep your priority. Even if you exercise regularly and eat a healthy, well-balanced diet, if you aren’t getting enough sleep you are likely damaging your body. Some experts have suggested that inadequate sleep is like a daily cigarette habit. Excessive consumption of coffee and energy drinks can also affect your sleep as can an untreated, “silent” urinary tract infection (UTI.).
Try boosting your energy by drinking water throught out the day, eating healthy, whole, minimally processed foods and engaging in moderate daily exercise. For more tips on how to get energized and overcome constant fatigue, download the Kyla app today!
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