TOP 7 CAUSES OF FATIGUE
Are you feeling refreshed and full of energy for the new year? If not there's likely an underlying reason! Fatigue is a very common symptom for the women I see in clinic - here are the top 7 causes and the tests we use to figure out which one is relevant to you.
NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCIES
These can be some of the quickest to notice improvements in energy levels with the right supplement. However it's also our job to figure out why you developed this deficiency - is your digestive function impaired, are you lacking certain nutrients in your diet, are your periods excessively heavy?
The most common deficiencies I see in regards to fatigue are
Low Iron and/or Ferritin (iron stores)
Low B12
Low Vitamin D
A simple blood test can help us assess your levels and determine the best dosage and supplement.
UNDER-ACTIVE THYROID
Even if your GP has said your thyroid is fine - just being in the test range does not mean your levels are ideal or optimal! You can have an under-active thyroid which affects the amount of thyroid hormone (T4) produced and/or the amount converted to the active form (T3). This can be happening without having 'diagnosable' hypothyroidism.
An under-active thyroid is especially common in women who have ongoing stress - as stress really impacts thyroid function. Weight gain, poor cognition, dry skin, constipation, hair loss and high cholesterol are other common symptoms of an under-active thyroid.
A simple blood test from your Naturopath which tests the 3 thyroid hormones (TSH, T4 and T3) is essential, to give a total picture of how your thyroid is functioning. Due to medicare, GP's usually only test TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) - which alone doesn't tell us enough about your thyroid hormone production and conversion to active T3.
ADRENAL FATIGUE
Women today are pushing themselves more and more - and burning themselves out in the process. We all have a tipping point and can handle stress for a certain time before our body starts to seriously malfunction and fatigue. Your adrenal glands produce cortisol (and other hormones) in response to any type of stress - and while some cortisol in short bursts is fine, many of us have high cortisol 24/7! Eventually your adrenals cannot keep up with demand and your cortisol production will fall, or your regular cortisol pattern over the day will become dysregulated. This will mean your cortisol and energy will be higher at night, instead of in the morning, which can then contribute to sleep issues, further exacerbating fatigue.
We use a saliva cortisol test which measures 4 or 6 samples over one day to assess your levels and 24hr pattern. Depending on the extent of your adrenal fatigue it can take months to recover from, so don't ignore the hints your body is giving you!
Keep an eye out for part 2 coming next week....
If you would like help getting to the bottom of your fatigue and improve your energy for 2018, book your consultation today!
Marion McConnell is a degree qualified Naturopath who helps women with stress, hormone imbalances and thyroid issues. The clinic is located in New Farm Brisbane, and consultations are also available via Skype. You can contact Marion here.