Medical Causes of Fatigue

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. What is anemia? Anemia is a condition in which the number of healthy red blood cells falls below normal. Red blood cells pick up oxygen in the lungs and carry it to tissues throughout the body. There, the oxygen is combined with food to release energy. In an anemic person, the blood cannot provide the tissues with enough oxygen. Thus, the person feels weak or tired. others symptoms are dizziness, headaches, pale or cool skin, rapid heartbeat, and shortness of breath. Anemia is not a disease itself, but a condition caused by a variety of diseases and disorders. The main causes of anemia are (1) insufficient production of red blood cells, (2) loss of blood and (3) excessive destruction of red blood cells.

Insufficient Production of Red Blood Cells. Each day, about 0.8 per cent of the body's red blood cells wear out and destroyed. If the body fails to replace these cells at the same rate, anemia results. Red blood cells are produced inthe bone marrow, a tissue in the center of the bones. This process requires various minerals and vitamins that are supplied by the diet.

Deficency Anemias develop if the diet does not include sufficient amounts of iron, vitamin B12, or folic acid. These nutrients are essential for the production ofred blood cells. Deficiency anemias also result if the body cannot absorb these nutrients properly. For example, pernicious anemia occurs when vitamin B12 cannot be absorb. Physicians treat deficiency anemias by adding the missing nutrient to the diet or by administering it through injections or in tablets.

Aplastic Anemias occurs if the bone marrow loses its ability to produce red cells. Some cases are due to diseases that affect the marrow, such as leukemia in its early stages. Other cases result from exposure to chemicals or radiation. Many cases have no apparent cause. Victims of aplastic anemia receive regular blood transfusions until their bone marrow begins to function again. In many cases, however, the marrow never regains function, and the victims dies.

2.THYROID DISEASE, which may affect up to 10 percent of women. Symptoms include fatigue, difficulty losing weight, extremely dry skin and hair and sensitivity to cold. The Underactive Thyroid, called hypothyroidism, is a deffect that results in the low production of thyroid hormones. This defficiency causes an overall decrease in both physical and mental activity. Symptoms appear in almost every organs system of the body. The skin becomes dry and puffy. Hair thins and becomes brittle. Slow speech, slow reflexes, poor memory, constipation,and fatigue can all result from hypothyroidism. In adult it causes mental and physical retardation. The Overactive Thyroid, called hyperthyroidism, results in an overproduction of thyroid hormones.

3. DEPRESSION, which is an underdiagnosed, underrecognized condition among women. It is a serious disorder in which a person suffers long periods of sadness and other negative feelings. The term Depression also describes a normal mood involving the sadness, grief, disappointment, or loneliness that everyone experiences at times. Depressed people may feel fearful, guilty, or hopeless. They often cry, and many lose interest in work and social life. Many cases of depression also involve aches, fatigue, loss of appetite, or otherbphysical symptoms. Some depressed patients try to harm or kill themselves. Period of depression may occurs alone or they may alternate with periods of mania ( extreme joy and overactivity ) in a disorder called bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive disorder.
According to another theory, disturbances in the chemistry of the brain occurs during depression. Brain cells communicate with one another by releasing called neurotransmitters. Some think that certain neurotransmitters become underactive during depression and overactive during mania. These changes in brain chemistry may be related to disturbances in the body's internal rhythms.
4. CHRONIC FATIGUE SYMDROME (CFS). Symptoms include: Severe fatigue lasting for more than six months that does not improve with rest, impaired memeory and thought processes, pain, and sleep difficulties.