Low energy is a very common concern in patients, especially among women. These patients usually wake up feeling unrefreshed, and continue to experience low energy levels throughout the day. There aren’t many conventional solutions that address low energy properly. As such, most patients are told it’s a “normal” part of life. However, this shouldn’t be the case, as low energy seriously dampens the quality of life. When treating low energy, the first step is determining the root cause.

There are 5 common issues that I repeatedly see that contribute to fatigue :

1) Hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism is caused by an under-active thyroid. Thyroid hormones play a key role in many processes in the body. They can cause low energy, constipation, dry skin, and intolerance to cold.

2) Lack of quality/quantity sleep

Sleeep is critical. In short, if sleep quality is impaired, then daytime energy will suffer. The most common symptoms of this are waking up feeling unrefreshed or feeling like you need to take day time naps.

3) Anemia

Anemia is a condition in which you lack enough healthy red blood cells to carry adequate amounts of oxygen to the body’s tissues. Anemic patients will often present with lack of energy, shortness of breath, and poor blood circulation.

4) Lack of nutrition

Eating is the body’s way of re-fueling. It’s a no-brainer that under-eating, especially with important macronutrients like protein and fat, can cause low energy. I recommend tracking your dietary intake on an app to get deeper insight to ensure you’re properly hitting your daily goals.

5) Hormonal imbalances

Irregular bleeding patterns, PCOS, endometriosis, and fibroids can all contribute to fatigue. If you’re experiencing hormonal symptoms alongside your fatigue, it might be time to investigate if hormonal imbalance is a possible cause.