The Health Blog

A Look at the Common Medical Causes of Fatigue in Women

Do you always feel tired, physically and emotionally? There maybe several reasons why you always have fatigue. In women, the most common medical causes include:

1. Anemia, which is caused by lack of iron in the blood. This is the primary medical explanation for fatigue in women of childbearing age. The most common cause of anemia in women is iron-deficiency anemia (IDA), a condition in which blood lacks adequate healthy red blood cells, which carry oxygen to tissues. IDA is due to insufficient iron. Your body needs the element iron to make hemoglobin, a substance in red blood cells that enables them to carry oxygen.

How do you know if you have IDA?
Aside from fatigue, it may present as inflammation or soreness of your tongue, brittle nails, unusual cravings for non-nutritive substances, such as ice, dirt or pure starch and poor appetite. This type of anemia is corrected through iron supplements. It’s always advisable to see your doctor before taking any medications. MayoClinic

Your physician may run blood tests two know if you have anemia. It’s not seen in the blood pressure, as misconceived by others.

2. Thyroid disease, which may affect up to 10 percent of women. Symptoms include fatigue, difficulty of losing weight, extremely dry skin and hair, and sensitivity to cold.

Thyroid disease can be in the form of hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism. Hyperthyroid patients may feel complete exhaustion. This can be due to the insomnia and difficulty sleeping, a common hyperthyroidism symptom. It can also be due to having a rapid pulse, higher blood pressure, diarrhea, tremors and other symptoms of hyperthyroidism.

Hypothyroidism result to slow metabolism. Early symptoms include poor muscle tone (muscle hypotonia), fatigue, cold intolerance, increased sensitivity to cold, constipation, weight gain, muscle cramps and joint pain, thin, brittle fingernails and hair, paleness and dry, itchy skin.

3. Depression, which is an underdiagnosed, underrecognized condition among women. A study found out that people who are depressed are more than four times as likely to develop unexplained fatigue, and those who suffer from fatigue are nearly three times as likely to become depressed.

So if you have been experiencing chronic, persistent fatigue, consult a physician. Chronic fatigue can be a sign of an underlying medical condition.

Image source: LifeDynamix.com