Your alarm clock is your sworn enemy. You wake up feeling tired all the time. And exhaustion may as well be your middle name.
If that sounds at all familiar, I have “good” news and bad news.
Since misery loves company, the “good” news first. You’re not alone. According to experts, only one in seven Americans can claim they wake up feeling refreshed every day of the week.
In other words, there are a whole lot of other people piled into the low energy boat with you.
Which brings us to the bad news.
Do you …
- Usually, get seven to nine hours of shut eye a night?
- Typically, eat a healthy diet?
- Generally, fit in 30 minutes of activity, at least three days a week?
If you answered yes to the questions above, but you still suffer from exhaustion, chances are you’ve fallen victim to a hidden energy thief.
Hidden energy thieves could be behind your exhaustion
These common medical conditions can go mostly unnoticed for a long time. They lurk just below the surface sapping your energy and making you feel tired all the time.
1. Thyroid problems:
Your thyroid gland is located in the front of your neck. It’s responsible for producing the hormones that govern how your body uses energy. (In other words, your metabolism). And if those hormones become unbalanced, it can trigger exhaustion.
Do everyday activities leave you feeling fatigued? If so, and you can’t figure out why, you many have hypothyroidism, or an underactive thyroid.
Or do you find yourself feeling weak, or fighting muscles that become fatigued quickly? If so, you could be struggling with a hidden case of overactive thyroid, or hyperthyroidism.
Ask your doctor about taking the simple blood test that can diagnose a thyroid problem.
2. Heart disease:
Some folks live with heart disease for months, or even years, without realizing it. And that’s because many of the typical symptoms of the disease don’t seem like they even have a connection to your heart.
Unexplained exhaustion tops the list. And if you suspect your own tired all the time feeling could be connected to your heart, be on the lookout for other common symptoms such as…
- swelling in your legs and arms
- shortness of breath
- exercise fatigue
- dizziness (or passing out)
If any of them ring a bell, go ahead and give your doctor a call. He can administer some simple tests to check on your heart health. And if he does find an issue, he can help you chart a course back to better health.
3. Diabetes:
Exhaustion is probably the most common, and the most overlooked, symptom of diabetes. When you have type 2 diabetes, your main fuel source, glucose, builds up in your blood. And with your body unable to process and use the fuel properly, fatigue can set in.
Do you find yourself dozing at your desk despite having gotten a full night’s sleep? Or dragging at the end of the day no matter how much coffee you drink? Blood sugar issues could be to blame.
If you suspect diabetes may be behind your own lack of energy, look for these other common symptoms of high blood sugar…
- needing to pee often
- feeling very thirsty all the time
- unexplained blurry vision
- frequent yeast infections
- unexpected weight loss
- feeling irritable
Your doctor can run tests to determine if you have diabetes.
4. Sleep apnea:
If you wake up exhausted nearly every single morning no matter how early you turn in, sleep apnea could be the reason. This dangerous condition causes you to stop breathing repeatedly, for short periods, while you’re asleep.
Most folks with sleep apnea have no idea they have the condition. But your body sure does. Because the lack of oxygen and buildup of carbon monoxide trigger fatigue.
Other common sleep apnea symptoms include…
- heavy snoring
- morning headaches
- dry mouth or sore throat in the morning
- mood swings, depression or irritability
- waking up often to pee
If you believe you may suffer from sleep apnea, ask your doctor about having a sleep study done. And if you’re diagnosed, the cure could be as easy as losing some weight.
Stop letting exhaustion ruin your days. Call your doctor and make an appointment to get to the bottom of your fatigue. Because the sooner you find out the hidden culprit, the sooner you can find the cure.
She is an advocate of self-education and is passionate about the power of group knowledge sharing, like the kind found right here on HealthierTalk.com. Alice loves to share her views on holistic and natural healing as well as her, sometimes contentious, thoughts on the profit-driven inner workings of traditional medicine.
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