Feeling Tired All the Time?
By Amber Moss, DO | Board-Certified Family Medicine Physician
Feeling tired after a busy week, a few nights of poor sleep, or a stressful stretch is normal. But when fatigue starts to feel like your new normal—or you're getting enough sleep and still feel exhausted—it may be worth looking a little deeper.
Fatigue is one of those symptoms that can have many possible causes. Sometimes the answer is relatively simple. Other times, persistent fatigue can be a clue that something else is going on.
When Is Fatigue More Than Just Being Tired?
Everyone has low-energy days. The difference is often how long the fatigue lasts and how much it affects your everyday life.
Consider making an appointment if you:
Feel tired most days despite getting adequate sleep
Have noticed a significant change in your usual energy level
Struggle to get through work or normal daily activities
Frequently need naps when you didn't before
Wake up feeling unrefreshed
Have difficulty concentrating or feel unusually "foggy"
Have other new symptoms along with the fatigue
Persistent fatigue doesn't automatically mean something is wrong, but it is worth discussing—especially when it has been going on for several weeks or is getting worse.
What Can Cause Ongoing Fatigue?
There isn't one single test for fatigue because there isn't one single cause.
Your doctor may consider several possibilities based on your symptoms, medical history, medications, sleep, and lifestyle.
Iron Deficiency or Anemia
Low iron levels and anemia can cause fatigue, weakness, headaches, dizziness, shortness of breath, or a noticeable decrease in exercise tolerance.
People who have heavy menstrual bleeding may be particularly susceptible to iron deficiency.
Thyroid Problems
Your thyroid helps regulate many of the body's metabolic processes. An underactive thyroid can sometimes cause fatigue along with symptoms such as feeling cold, constipation, dry skin, hair changes, or unexplained weight changes.
Vitamin Deficiencies
Low levels of certain nutrients, including vitamin B12, may contribute to fatigue in some people. Whether testing is appropriate depends on your symptoms, diet, medications, and other risk factors.
Sleep Problems
You can spend eight hours in bed and still not get restorative sleep.
Insomnia, sleep apnea, frequent nighttime awakenings, restless legs, shift work, and inconsistent sleep schedules can all leave you exhausted during the day.
Snoring, waking up gasping, morning headaches, or significant daytime sleepiness are especially important to mention to your doctor.
Blood Sugar Problems
Changes in blood sugar can sometimes contribute to fatigue. Increased thirst, frequent urination, blurry vision, unexplained weight changes, or a strong family history of diabetes may be reasons to evaluate your blood sugar.
Stress, Anxiety, and Depression
Mental and physical health are closely connected. Chronic stress, anxiety, depression, grief, and burnout can all affect sleep, concentration, motivation, and energy.
These are real medical considerations and deserve the same thoughtful evaluation as physical causes of fatigue.
Hormonal Changes
For women in their 40s and sometimes earlier, perimenopause may contribute to changes in sleep, mood, menstrual cycles, and overall energy.
Hormones aren't automatically the explanation for every symptom, though. A good evaluation looks at the whole picture rather than assuming fatigue is "just hormones."
Medications
Some prescription and over-the-counter medications can cause drowsiness or fatigue. Reviewing your medication list—including supplements—is an important part of evaluating new or persistent symptoms.
What Will Your Doctor Check?
There isn't a universal "fatigue panel" that everyone needs.
A primary care visit usually starts with a conversation about when your symptoms began, your sleep, menstrual history when applicable, medications, nutrition, stress, other symptoms, and your medical and family history.
From there, your doctor can determine whether an exam, laboratory testing, sleep evaluation, medication adjustment, or another next step makes sense.
The goal isn't to order every possible test. It's to figure out which possibilities actually fit your symptoms.
Don't Ignore a Change in How You Feel
You don't need to wait until you're completely exhausted to bring up fatigue with your doctor.
One of the benefits of primary care is having someone who can look at the whole picture—not just a single symptom or lab result.
If your energy has changed and you don't feel like yourself, that's a reasonable reason to make an appointment.
Primary Care in Gillette, Wyoming
At Moss Health, I provide comprehensive primary care with time to listen, evaluate your symptoms, and develop a plan that makes sense for you.
Whether you're dealing with persistent fatigue, thyroid concerns, changes in your health, or simply haven't had a checkup in a while, we can start with a thoughtful evaluation and decide together what comes next.
Schedule an appointment to get started.