Lack of energy or fatigue has become acommon problem in many people, because it affects their performance significantly in their jobs and home, which prevents them from performing their activities effectively and quickly.
When a person haslow energy and feels exhausted, they usually lose concentration frequently, or become sleepy most of the time. This problem can be caused by several reasonsthat prevent you from getting a good rest.
Therefore, in this article you will find in detail, the possible causes that cause lack of energy in people and the symptoms you may have. Similarly, some methods to combat this problem will be mentioned.
What is lack of energy?
Lack of energy is theaccumulation of physical and mental tiredness that people have whenthey cannot get enough rest. This sensation is usually accompanied by symptoms such assleep, worries or loss of attention.
Important: An article published in the journalNeuro-Psychiatry, explains that people who have alack of energy, suffer as a common symptom aloss of their normal performance. It is also added that it may present with another secondary disease. (1)
Similarly, you should be attentive when a person has apicture of fatigue, since it can be achronic asthenia, which is a pathology that is based on being in astate of extreme exhaustion continuously.
Causes of lack of energy
The lack of energy in people is a common problem that causes astrong feeling of tirednessand can be caused bydifferent causes, which can be diseases or sleep problems. Some of them are:
Anaemia
Anemiais caused by adeficiency of iron in the body, causing acondition in the blood. This disease brings as a symptom tirednessor moderate fatiguein people, for not having enough healthy red blood cells.
Note: An article published by the United States Department of Health and Human Services explains that anemia has fatigue in people as a symptom , because there are not enough oxygen-carrying red blood cells in the body. (two)
Autoimmune diseases
In this sense, some of these autoimmune diseases that produce symptoms such as fatigue, muscle pain and weakness in the body, are sclerosis, type I diabetes, psoriasis, celiac disease , among others.
hypothyroidism
One of the main symptoms caused by the condition of hypothyroidism, is the lack of energy. This is caused by adeficiency of thyroid hormone in the body, in which it affects heart rate and all aspects of metabolism .
Note: A report that was published by the American Thyroid Association , confirms through its explanation, that this condition does not allow a good production of thyroid hormone , generating cold and body fatigue as main symptoms. (3)
Diabetes
Another cause of people having a lack of energy is due to diabetes. Both type I and IIhave this symptom in common. This is due tohigh or low blood sugar.
A report that was published by the Spanish Society of Internal Medicine explains that diabetes has a set of main symptoms, these being fatigue,weight loss, blurred vision and tiredness. However, they may not show up.(4)
emotional disturbances
Sleep disorders
Tocommon cause of people being tired is suffering from a sleep disorder, which is a type of alteration in the bodythat prevents us from staying asleep. This can be caused by adrastic change in our attitude or sleeping habits.
These possible changes that Prevent sleepCan beanxiety or depression. It should also be mentioned that habits such as Using technology or watching television late at night cause insomnia, making it difficult to sleep.
Aging
People find it difficult to Stay AsleepOnce TheyGet older , as they start to wake up more frequently during the night and their rest hours are reduced to 5 hours, causing body fatigue.
Pregnancy
Feeling Fatigue during pregnancyis a completely normal symptom, so there is no need to be alarmed by it. This can be caused by thehormonal changes that women have, as it is necessary to transport nutrients to the growing baby.
Symptoms of lack of energy
The symptoms that people present when they are tired and have a lack of energyare varied, since their attitudes and performance of their personal activities are negatively affected. Some of these symptoms are:
Exhaustion
One of the main symptoms of people with a lack of energy is exhaustion , manifesting as a feeling of very great physical fatigue , when you cannot get enough sleep at night and the daily work routine.
Drowsiness
A person with a lack of energy may become drowsytag. This symptom consists of being able tomaintain consciousness, but with a strong feeling of sleepiness, tiredness, clumsiness in movements, and sometimes weakness.
Apathy
Apathy can be caused by a buildup of tiredness in people. When they are very sleepy, there can be indifference to almost anything, due to the desire to sleep and recover energy.
Headache
When people do not get a good rest and have a lack of energy in their bodies, they can present recurring headachesas a symptom . This usually happens when you suffer frominsomnia or sleep disorders.
Humor changes
Lack of appetite
When people have a lack of energy, they may have a lack of appetite as a symptom. This is because the brain stimulates to eat foods rich in calories that serve to give energy to the body, however the opposite is true.
Memory and attention difficulties
It is possible that a person has difficulty memorizing or paying attention to a specific matter, since fatigue causes a predisposition and deterioration of cognitive abilitiestag. Preventing study or performing tasks properly.
reduced libido
A person with a lack of energy, may have a reduction in their libido, meaning a decrease in their sexual drivetag. This can negatively affectrelationships, and can even lead to being in a state of depression.
How to combat the lack of energy?
Once the main causes of lack of energy in people have been explained and what their symptoms may be, it is necessary to know how to combat this problem. Therefore, consider the following methods:
Maintain a nutrient-dense diet
One of the main methods to combat lack of energy is by maintaining a healthy diet that is rich in vitamins and nutrientstag. This helps to keep the body satiated, and it is possible to fall asleep more effectively.
hydrate properly
Keeping the body properly hydrated serves as a great help to the body so that it can perform its functions better .
Tip: It is advisable to consume enough water in the morning, to combat the feeling of tiredness during the day.
Get enough rest and sleep
To eliminate the feeling of chronic fatigue, it is necessary to rest and get enough sleep .
Tip: The most recommended thing is to be able to have a restful sleep of at least 8 continuous hours at night, in order to recover the lost energy.
Doing physical activity
Performing a Good physical activity helps to keep the body healthy and fit,working in turn to reduce or eliminate the feeling of fatigue that one may have. A workout of at least 45 minutes per day is ideal.
Also, doing Physical activity generates more tiredness at night, which can inhibit sleep disorders , so that you can sleep without interruptions.
Avoid stress
Stress can prevent us from sleeping well at night due to some external situation that overwhelms us, so it is necessary to avoid it .
Tip: To achieve this we can have a Relaxing tea , read a book or a hot shower before bed.
Moderate alcohol consumption
Frequent and inappropriate consumption of alcoholcan causefeelings of tirednessand exhaustion, since 30 minutes after ingesting it, blood sugar levels decrease, which can generate this symptom of fatigue.
Avoid smoking and psychoactive substances
It is necessary to avoid the consumption of cigarettes and psychoactive substances, since they affect our body in a detrimental way.
Important: It has been associated that the consumption of these causes fatigue, headaches or lung and numbness in the legs.
Get sunlight safely
Another way to combat the lack of energy is Taking sunlight in a safe way in the morning, because when the body is exposed to the sun, it manages to produce vitaminD.This nutrient serves toregulate melatonin and sleep cycles properly.
Consume vitamin supplements
It is also ideal to consume vitamin supplementsto reduce fatigue that we may have, since thanks to theirconcentration of nutrientsthey can help the well-being of our body and mood during the day.
Go to the doctor if necessary
As a last resort, if necessary, you should see a doctor to discuss any chronic problem and perform some Health Exams , in order to receive some Treatment or activity that can improve the quality of sleep at night.
In the same way, it is necessary to carry out a thorough and correct medical evaluation to rule out the existence of pathologies in the body, since there are diseases that hinder sleep such as rheumatoid arthritis, due to joint pain.
University Professional in the area of Human Resources, Postgraduate in Occupational Health and Hygiene of the Work Environment, 14 years of experience in the area of health. Interested in topics of Psychology, Occupational Health, and General Medicine.