It can be frustrating when you are always tired and get told by your healthcare professional that your bloodwork appears "normal." Sometimes, this is given in a phone call without any follow-up consultation. It can leave you wondering, "Why do I feel so tired?" and sometimes lost on what to do. This article will examine what can cause this tiredness, bloodwork that may help identify it, and what to do if it returns "normal."
Tiredness can be a tough symptom to explain as everyone perceives it differently. However, tiredness is not the same as laziness. A key difference is that tiredness is felt physically and mentally and may result in you being unable to do basic tasks. Laziness, however, is a choice not to do something regardless of your energy levels.
Everyone will experience periods of tiredness. Generally, this tiredness will disappear after rest.
However, some red flags of tiredness should be checked out. These include:
If you constantly experience tiredness and are starting to ask yourself, "Why do I feel so tired?" know that there are a variety of reasons, some obvious and some more hidden.
Nutrition is essentially fuel for your body; it provides much-needed energy for your body. If you aren't eating enough, it can result in low energy levels. Additionally, if your nutrition is low quality, it can result in vitamin and mineral deficiencies that may cause tiredness. Some common nutrient deficiencies that can cause tiredness are (1):
It is also important to eat a balanced diet with enough protein, whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and adequate calories.
To help prevent nutrition from causing tiredness, some simple tips include having small, frequent meals throughout the day and including fruits and vegetables daily. The more colorful your plate, the better your chance of receiving a combination of different nutrients. However, if you're eating a relatively healthy diet but still feeling tired, there might be underlying causes, whether it's toxin-related or lack of absorption.
We all experience short-term stress, but long-term stress can be problematic and cause tiredness. Your body supports you during short-term stress through your adrenal glands and the NeuroEndoMetabolic (NEM) Stress Response System. This system comprises six different circuits of related organs that respond to stress. Your adrenal glands are part of this system, and when you experience stress, these glands release stress hormones, such as cortisol, to help your body cope with the stress.
When stress persists, the adrenal glands produce stress hormones, which can deplete them. This can cause low cortisol levels and imbalances within the NEM system, which marks the beginning of Adrenal Fatigue. Adrenal fatigue is a condition in which the body cannot keep up with long-term stress, resulting in various symptoms depending on the imbalance in the NEM system.
The Cardionomic circuit can become imbalanced and plays a vital role in helping you respond to short-term stress. Imbalances within this circuit can cause various symptoms, including feeling "wired and tired" in the evening and extreme fatigue during the day.
Managing stress with steps such as reducing stressors, eating a balanced diet, getting enough rest, and personalized coaching may help.
Many are aware of some of the general symptoms of dehydration, such as thirst and headaches. However, dehydration can also cause tiredness (2). This could be because dehydration causes a drop in blood pressure and can result in reduced blood flow to the brain, causing feelings of tiredness.
Interestingly, Adrenal Fatigue can also result in dehydration and may contribute to tiredness. Ensuring you drink enough water during the day can help with dehydration. Most people should drink at least half their body weight in ounces. For example, a 140-pound person should drink at least 70 oz of water daily.
A lack of sleep can cause tiredness, but poor-quality sleep can also cause you to feel tired. Many different factors can affect your sleep quality, including:
Medical conditions, such as sleep apnea, can also affect your sleep quality and make you tired. Sleep apnea symptoms include snoring loudly, waking up during the night, and gasping. Going to a sleep clinic is one way to determine whether you are experiencing sleep apnea.
It may seem strange that a lack of exercise can cause tiredness. Yet during exercise, your heart beats faster, sending oxygen and nutrients to your heart and tissue. Additionally, the mitochondria in your cells, also known as the powerhouse of your cells, increase in number, resulting in more energy produced. Exercise can also help to promote a deeper state of sleep.
If you want to exercise to see if it can help improve your energy levels, try to achieve 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise weekly. However, if you are currently experiencing Adrenal Fatigue, focus on gentle exercises such as walking and yoga. Intense exercises may put more stress on your body and hinder your recovery.
Your gut affects many aspects of your health, including energy levels. Within your gut, you have a population of bacteria known as the gut microbiome. This population can be beneficial or harmful to your health and change based on your nutrition, exercise levels, health, and whether you are taking supplements and medication.
If your microbiome contains more harmful bacteria, it can increase inflammation. This inflammation can increase your chances of developing a leaky gut and food sensitivities and/or intolerances, contributing to tiredness. A 2022 study found that feelings of mental and physical fatigue correlated with gut bacteria associated with inflammation, while feelings of energy correlated with bacteria associated with healthy metabolic functioning (3).
If you're always tired, yet your bloodwork returns normal, hidden toxins or stealth infections could be the culprit. Mold, heavy metals, environmental pollutants, and pesticides can all contribute to fatigue without showing up in standard tests. Stealth infections like EBV, Lyme, etc, can also be an underlying factor. Cleaning up your lifestyle and avoiding harmful chemicals is crucial. You might also want to consider specialized testing for mold, heavy metals, environmental toxins, or infectious testing with an experienced functional medicine provider to uncover the root cause.
If you have been asking yourself, "Why do I feel so tired?" getting blood work done can help to determine the cause of your tiredness. Some common tests that conventional providers order include:
However, there are additional tests that may also help to determine the cause. They include:
If your bloodwork comes back as 'normal,' your tiredness is still valid, and there could be other reasons for this result relating to the bloodwork and healthcare provider.
While the common blood tests to order for tiredness are useful, some of the other tests, such as adrenal and gut testing, are not always ordered. This could result in the cause of your tiredness being missed.
Mistakes can happen, even when the lab processes the bloodwork. Additionally, multiple factors, such as time of day, exercise, nutrition, and supplements, can influence the results. Some tests, such as cortisol testing, must be taken multiple times to provide an accurate picture.
There are two different ranges with bloodwork: the normal range and the optimal range, which is needed for optimal functioning. In some tests, such as iron, vitamin D, thyroid, and iron levels, the optimal range differs greatly from the normal range. This could be why you ask yourself, "Why do I feel so tired?" even though your values are within the normal range.
In some cases, the bigger picture may be missed. For example, if you are experiencing heart palpitations, the healthcare provider may only focus on heart conditions, not other potential causes such as thyroid imbalances and adrenal fatigue. Seeing a healthcare professional who considers all aspects of your health holistically can help prevent this.
If your bloodwork returns as 'normal' and you still ask yourself, why do I feel so tired? There are steps you can take. These are:
Feeling tired and constantly asking yourself, "Why do I feel so tired?" can be exhausting - pun intended. If your bloodwork returns as 'normal,' it does not mean you are making up for your tiredness. Some reasons for this are:
If you always feel tired and want help figuring out why and what to do, call us at +1 (626) 571-1234 for a free initial consultation.
Tardy, Anne Laure, et al. "Vitamins and Minerals for Energy, Fatigue and Cognition: A Narrative Review of the Biochemical and Clinical Evidence." Nutrients, vol. 12, no. 1, Jan. 2020, p. 228, https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/1/228.
Taylor, Kory, and Elizabeth B. Jones. "Adult Dehydration." StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf, 3 Oct. 2022, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK555956.
Boolani, Ali, et al. "Trait Energy and Fatigue May Be Connected to Gut Bacteria Among Young Physically Active Adults: An Exploratory Study." Nutrients, vol. 14, no. 3, Jan. 2022, p. 466, https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/3/466.
If you are still asking yourself, "Why do I feel so tired?", even after you have changed your nutrition, exercise, and sleep habits, seeing a healthcare professional is important. The reason for always feeling tired may be linked to something else such as an underlying medical condition.
