Medical Questions » Other Problems Questions » Question No. 769
| Question: | I am always tired. I just have no energy. Even writing this letter is an effort. Please help me. |
| Answer: | This is a very common reason for attending a doctor, and it is one of the most difficult to diagnose and treat. You should see your GP who will ask you a lot of questions about your lifestyle and habits. He or she will give you a thorough examination, and then probably order some blood tests. Hopefully this will reveal a cause for your lethargy, but often there is no apparent reason.
Chronic tiredness may be due to your lifestyle, with excess stress and anxiety, too much or too little exercise, sleep disrupted by infants or neighbours, obesity and alcohol excesses being common factors. Diseases as diverse as anaemia and cancer or chronic infections and thyroid gland disorders may be responsible.
Medications you are taking such as antihistamines (for runny noses), painkillers or some blood pressure tablets may also be the cause. A poor diet lacking in essential elements can cause fatigue, but this normally only occurs in people talcing unbalanced fad diets in Australia. Depression is a hidden disease that is often responsible for chronic tiredness, and there are no specific blood tests that can diagnose this.
It is a test of the doctors clinical acumen to find the correct cause, and then initiate the appropriate treatment, but this may take several visits and a number of investigations. In the long run, persistence usually pays, with the problem disappearing spontaneously or treatment giving relief.
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