What it is
Fatigue is a feeling of weariness, tiredness or lack of energy that can get in the way of daily life. It can be a normal response to physical activity, emotional stress, boredom or lack of sleep — or a sign of a mental or physical condition. If you've felt tired for weeks, see your health care provider, who can look for the cause and suggest relief.
Causes
Fatigue is a symptom, not a disease. Besides pregnancy, causes include:
| Kind | Examples |
|---|---|
| Medical problems | long-term diseases such as diabetes, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), and heart, liver, kidney and thyroid disease; untreated pain and conditions like fibromyalgia; anemia; infections; Parkinson's disease; sleep apnea and other sleep disorders; a recent stroke; depression and anxiety |
| Treatments | chemotherapy, radiation and bone marrow transplants; recovering from major surgery; some medicines, such as antidepressants, antihistamines, and drugs for nausea and pain |
| Habits | too little sleep or staying up too late; too much alcohol; substance use; too much caffeine; too little — or too much — exercise |
Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) involves overwhelming fatigue that lasts a long time, doesn't improve with rest, and limits ordinary daily activities — different from tiredness that rest relieves.
What helps
If fatigue doesn't improve after several weeks, call your provider. Expect questions about your sleep, activities, appetite and exercise, a physical exam and lab tests; treatment depends on the diagnosis.
You can also:
- get regular physical activity;
- improve your sleep habits;
- quit smoking, which is linked to many diseases that cause fatigue;
- manage stress;
- eat a healthy diet and avoid alcohol;
- keep a fatigue diary to spot patterns — when you're most tired and when you have the most energy — and plan activities around them.
Sources
Based on "Fatigue," MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine, drawing on the National Institute on Aging; a work of the United States government in the public domain.
Licence: CC0 1.0 (public domain) · Adapted from medlineplus.gov
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