If you’re getting eight hours of sleep at night and you still have to drag yourself through the day, it’s time for a fatigue checkup. Here are seven hidden fatigue factors you might need to discuss with your doctor:
1. Anemia
You may be bleeding internally and not know it — bleeding ulcers, for instance, may be slowly dragging you down. Kidney disease can also cause anemia. In women, fibroid tumors or uterine polyps can be the culprit. Whatever the cause, blood loss can lead to a deficiency of hemoglobin, the protein in the blood that carries oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body. When your organs and tissues don’t get enough oxygen, the end result is often fatigue. Other telltale symptoms are irritability, dizziness, and feeling cold. A simple blood test can diagnose anemia, and fatigue begins to diminish after only a month of treatment.
