10 Factors That Can Lead To Chronic Fatigue + What To Do About Each

We’re a country bogged down by extreme exhaustion. Chronic fatigue syndrome affects more than 1 million Americans—more people than multiple sclerosis, lupus, and some forms of cancer. Plus, an estimated 70 million people in the United States currently live with insomnia and sleep disorders, fueling debilitating tiredness. Many more suffer from undiagnosed fatigue disorders.

Thyroid issues affect around 20 million Americans, and low thyroid function, or hypothyroidism, is one common problem. Every cell of your body needs the thyroid hormone for energy. Sadly, there are many underlying thyroid problems that go undiagnosed.

Metabolic syndrome and diabetes are two varying forms of the same thing: insulin resistance. When your body is resistant to insulin, glucose cannot get into your cells to create ATP, your body’s gasoline. This can leave you feeling tired and irritable. This problem is also associated with sleep apnea, further fueling fatigue.

Your brain tells your adrenal glands what to do through a complex web of communications called the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis), or simply the brain-adrenal axis. Adrenal fatigue happens when that brain-adrenal communication isn’t working well, causing cortisol, your stress hormone, to be too high or too low. This leaves you feeling exhausted and cranky and not sleeping well.

I find that chronic low-grade viral infections are a common cause of fatigue in patients. Herpes viruses such as Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and human herpes virus 6 (HHV-6) and HHV-7 have been linked in some studies to chronic fatigue.

The food we eat, the water we drink, and the air we breathe is not what it used to be, thanks to pervasive toxins. And it could be affecting our energy: One study published in the journal Science of the Total Environment showed an association between exposure to environmental toxins and an increase in chronic fatigue.

You need the right nutrients for optimal vitality. Deficiencies in vitamin D, iron, and B vitamins can especially leave you feeling groggy and spent.

The foods you eat are your medicine and your fuel. I oftentimes see fatigue occur when patients are not eating the right ratio of fat, protein, or carbohydrates that works for their body.

A “leaky gut” is when your intestinal lining is damaged, allowing undigested food proteins and bacteria to pass into the bloodstream, causing an immune response and inflammation throughout the body. One study in the Journal of Affective Disorders linked increased intestinal permeability to chronic fatigue.

Candida overgrowth and undiagnosed food intolerances can also contribute to you feeling drained.

Inflammation is a commonality between most chronic health problems. Systemic inflammation can weaken your body’s ability to handle stress very well and can lead to fatigue and brain fog.

Every pharmaceutical drug has side effects, and fatigue is one of the most common. It amazes me how little people know about the side effects of the drugs they take every day.