Why Am I Always Exhausted? Overlooked Root Causes Behind Fatigue

Waking up feeling exhausted with no energy or motivation to get out of bed isn’t normal, and you’re not alone. In a recent meta-analysis, more than 20% of adults globally struggle with general fatigue, and more than 10% struggle with chronic fatigue (fatigue lasting more than 6 months). Fatigue is one of the top symptoms presented in hospitals, and it’s also easily dismissed, especially since women are impacted more than men.

Another study found that almost 50% of patients who presented with fatigue were diagnosed with one or more conditions within a year. This shows us that fatigue needs to be taken seriously right away and not written off as normal. We will explore the common root causes of fatigue that are often overlooked.

Common Symptoms Related to Fatigue

Symptoms of fatigue can be physical, emotional, and mental. Here are the most common symptoms related to fatigue:

• Always tired

• Lack of energy

• Sleepy

• Dizzy

• Joint pain, body pain

• Muscle weakness

• Impaired decision-making and judgment

• Mood swings

• Always sick, low immune function

• Loss of appetite

• Poor concentration

• Brain fog

There are also a number of potential causes behind fatigue and can be from medical conditions or illness, work-related (stressful environment), lifestyle-related (poor diet, lack of exercise), or even psychologically related (burnout, anxiety, depression, etc.). The bigger question we should be asking is what is the root cause.

Overlooked Root Causes of Fatigue

Nutrition and lifestyle are key components to achieving optimal health and the first place to start when struggling with fatigue. Food is fuel for your cells. Your cells need fuel to supply your tissues and organs with energy to function properly. This means the food you consume can either fight or feed disease. The same goes for your lifestyle. Exercise, stress management, sleep, rest, etc., all determine your ability to fight or feed disease. Taking inventory of your day-to-day and implementing changes can improve your fatigue, if you haven’t done so already.

If you’re reading this, you most likely have already made changes to your nutrition and lifestyle, so let’s dive deeper into the overlooked root causes behind fatigue.

Mitochondrial Dysfunction

Mitochondria are tiny factories inside your cells responsible for using the food you eat and oxygen you breathe to produce energy. The more energy a tissue or organ needs to function properly, the more mitochondria you’ll find in its cells. For example, your heart, brain, liver, and muscles need extensive energy to function properly, which means the cells of these organs contain more mitochondria. It’s estimated that 40% of each heart cell and 25% of each liver cell is made up of mitochondria. The more healthy mitochondria your body contains, the better your body will feel, which reflects as more energy, mental clarity, focus, and reverses aging.

When the mitochondria become damaged or depleted, your mitochondria can’t produce enough energy for your body. Less energy produced decreases the function of your organs, especially organs abundant in mitochondria such as your heart, brain, liver, and muscles. This can lead to or aggravate heart diseases, brain disorders (Alzheimer's, dementia), early aging, gut disorders, liver disease, diabetes, developmental disorders, chronic fatigue syndrome, and more.

What can damage the mitochondria? Ultra-processed foods, a sedentary lifestyle, stress, exposure to infections, and toxins. Basically, anything that triggers low-grade chronic inflammation can damage the mitochondria.

Environmental Toxins & Infections

Environmental toxins are contaminants found in indoor or outdoor environments that can impact your health. Environmental toxins can be man-made or naturally occurring such as heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides, industrial chemicals, and byproducts of organisms (mycotoxins). Exposure to environmental toxins over time can accumulate in the body, inducing chronic inflammation and impacting the immune system leading to a host of symptoms such as fatigue.

When the immune system isn’t functioning properly, you’re more prone to infections. Research has connected exposure to viral infections such as Epstein-Barr Virus, COVID-19, Influenza, etc., to fatigue. The same has been found with bacterial, parasitic, and fungal infections or even overgrowths in the gut microbiome.

Mitochondrial dysfunction, environmental toxins, and infections or overgrowths are overlooked root causes of fatigue. These can all be behind common disorders that typically lead to fatigue such as thyroid disease or problems, autoimmunity, cancer, and more.

Fatigue can be reversed. With the root cause approach, overcoming fatigue is possible. It’s truly paving the way for the future of healthcare and for women’s wellness. Working with a trained practitioner who understands the functional medicine approach to overcoming fatigue is key to getting the answers you deserve and achieving vibrant energy once again.

References:

Diaz-Vegas, A., Sanchez-Aguilera, P., Krycer, J. R., Morales, P. E., Monsalves-Alvarez, M., Cifuentes, M., Rothermel, B. A., & Lavandero, S. (2020). Is Mitochondrial Dysfunction a Common Root of Noncommunicable Chronic Diseases?. Endocrine reviews, 41(3), bnaa005. https://doi.org/10.1210/endrev/bnaa005

Pizzorno J. (2014). Mitochondria-Fundamental to Life and Health. Integrative medicine (Encinitas, Calif.), 13(2), 8–15.

Yoon, J. H., Park, N. H., Kang, Y. E., Ahn, Y. C., Lee, E. J., & Son, C. G. (2023). The demographic features of fatigue in the general population worldwide: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in public health, 11, 1192121. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1192121