The hidden causes of fatigue

Feeling tired all the time, in spite of a good night sleep? Maybe your exhaustion is not due to lack of sleep. Other culprits behind ‘TATT’ (Tired All The Time) include depressiondefine and perhaps some of the following energy snappers.

• Active infections:

Even if you don’t have obvious symptoms, an undetected infection may be making you tired. One such common infection is Brucellosis, caused by Brucella abortus bacteria, which is contracted when humans come in con tact with infected sheep, goats or cows, or drink milk from such infected source.

• Allergies:

Certain chemicals released during the allergic response tend to cause sleepiness. Paradoxically, allergy attacks caused by triggers such as moulds or dust mites can keep one awake all night wheezing, sneezing and sniffling. Furthermore, many medications used to treat allergies can exacerbate the fatigue.

• Anaemia:

The main job of red blood cells is to carry oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. If you don’t have enough red blood cells, or if they aren’t carrying enough oxygen, the result may be anaemia accompanied by fatigue. A simple blood test can detect anaemia.

• Low Hormone Levels:

In men, low levels of the hormone testosterone can cause exhaustion, weight loss and a lack of interest in sex and other normal activities. In women, low levels of hormone oestrogen can cause similar problems. Too little or too much of other important hormonesdefine, such as thyroid hormone can also result in fatigue. Hormone levels can be easily checked through blood tests. If needed, pills, patches, creams or injections can restore normal hormone levels.