When you go into the doctor with a specific complaint, the physician will usually listen to your symptoms, perform and examination and then develop a “differential diagnosis”, meaning a list of what diseases/problems could be causing those symptoms. Then, based on the differential diagnosis, tests may be ordered, such as blood panels, x-rays, other imaging etc. to help pin down the exact diagnosis.
A symptom/problem that involves a very long list on the differential diagnosis is : “I feel tired/fatigued”. This is a frequent symptom that is evaluated in the primary care setting. The differential diagnosis will include LOTS of possibilities, including:
- Poor sleep/sleep apnea
- Diabetes
- Anemia
- Occult heart problems such as cardiomyopathy or coronary artery damage
- Kidney issues
- Liver issues
- Depression
- Hormonal imbalances, such as thyroid and/or sex hormones
- Electrolyte imbalances
- Chronic infections such as Lyme Disease
One of the major symptoms reported by people with weight control issues is fatigue. We have seen many patients that tell us that one of the great outcomes of successful weight control is the marked improvement of their fatigue levels. There are probably many reasons why weight control improves tiredness. Improved sleep, heightened mood and enhanced performance of the internal organs are probably some of the major reasons why tiredness improvement accompanies weight control.
Feeling tired is a subjective sensation and age plays a role for sure. However, if you are feeling tired, it makes great sense to have your doctor check you out. If there are no specific causative factors found and therefore no treatment available, then get cracking on that weight control, as this could be the remedy.
