Feeling tired and achy all day long can really put a damper on your quality of life. It can also make you worry about what might be going on with your health. Fatigue and even body aches may be a symptom that something is going wrong with your body. You may even think you just need to keep yourself moving to feel better, but too much activity only makes you feel worse. If you are resting and find no relief in your fatigue, it may be time to take it seriously.
Why Are You Tired and Achy All the Time?
If you feel tired and achy often and it doesn't go away, you should schedule an appointment to see your doctor. Some conditions can be serious and need treatment so you can feel better and avoid complications. The most common things that can make you feel tired and achy include:
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Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
If you feel tired and achy all the time and it has lasted more than six months, it could be chronic fatigue syndrome. This is diagnosed when no other medical cause can be found for your tiredness. It commonly comes on after heavy physical activity, and can also be brought on by emotional stress. No amount of rest seems to make it go away. Doctors still don't know the cause of chronic fatigue, but it seems to be triggered by things like viruses, severe illness, surgery, or extreme emotional stress.
Symptoms include:
- Chronic, sometimes disabling fatigue
- Brain fog or memory issues
- Swollen glands
- Joint pain
- Sleep that doesn't help
- Headaches
- Feeling tired for over 24 hours and up to 6 months or longer
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Mononucleosis
This is a virus that you may know as, "the kissing disease." It isn't really because you kissed someone, but is spread by contact with oral secretions. You can get it from eating or drinking after someone who has it. It can affect anyone young or old and can cause disabling fatigue and body aches.
Symptoms include:
- Sore throat
- Fever
- Extreme tiredness
- Body aches
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Enlarged spleen
- Rash
- Headaches
The only treatment for mono is bed rest and increased fluids. The virus usually clears up in a few weeks, but can leave lasting tiredness for months.
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Lyme Disease
If you live in an area with woods and deer, you are at increased risk for Lyme disease. It is caused by the bite of an infected tick, which can introduce bacteria into your body through mouth. One of the first signs of this infection is a red "bullseye rash" around the infected bite. One may also feel tired and achy all the time.
Lyme can be treated with a course of antibiotics and has no lasting effects if treated promptly. If treatment is delayed, chronic Lyme can develop causing lasting fatigue and achy joints.
Related reading:
Lyme Disease Natural Treatment
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Hypothyroidism
Your thyroid sends out hormones that help regulate your body's metabolism, temperature, and energy levels. When thyroid hormone is too low, it is very common to feel very tired and even achy. Other symptoms include:
- Hair loss
- Feeling too cold
- Weight gain
- Dry, itchy skin
- Trouble thinking clearly
- Constipation
- Weak muscles
- Slow heart beat
- Eye and facial puffiness
- Depression
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Lupus
Lupus is caused by your body sees its own tissues as an invader and attacks them. It causes inflammation all over the body and even in vital organs. It can cause a tired and achy feeling, and you may think you are actually sick. It is an autoimmune disorder and can be managed with medications that calm down the immune system.
Symptoms
- Fatigue
- Flu-like symptoms
- Low grade fever (<100.4)
- Headaches/migraines
- Joint pain
- Skin rash (may even cover the nose and cheeks)
- Sun sensitivity causing sores on the body
- Chest pain/cough
6. Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a pain syndrome, where you feel pain all over your body. It can also cause profound fatigue. It isn't well understood, but researchers are beginning to see that it has to do with the pain receptors in your tissues and the pain signals coming from your brain. It is more common in women than men. Other symptoms include fatigue or tired feeling, abdominal pain, headaches and brain fog. There is no cure, but it is treatable.
7. Vitamin D Deficiency
Vitamin D deficiency is when your body does not have enough vitamin D to absorb calcium into your bones. Vitamin D is also a prohormone that helps other body processes and your immune system function. When you don't have enough of it, there are numerous symptoms including fatigue and bone pain, tired and achy all the time, weak muscles, unrefreshing sleep, weight gain and high blood pressure.
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Addison's Disease
Addison's disease is caused by your adrenal glands not producing enough stress hormones. This means your body is unable to cope with emotional stress, physical stress, or illness. It can make you feel tired from low blood pressure issues.
Symptoms
- Fatigue
- Joint and muscle pain
- Weight loss
- Low blood pressure
- Depression
- Irritable moods
- Lack of appetite
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Anemia
When you are anemic, your red blood cells are low. These are the cells that take oxygen to all of your cells and tissues. If you are anemic, you may feel more tired than normal. You can also feel achy and generally not well. Women and young girls with periods are most at risk for anemia, but anyone can suffer from it. It can also affect people on chemotherapy. It just takes a simple blood test from your doctor and iron replacement. They may also have you eat a diet high in iron.
Symptom
- Feeling tired and weak
- Pale skin color
- Col clammy skin
- Headaches
- Body aches
- Shortness of breath
- Heart palpitations
10. Mitochondrial Disease
Mitochondrial disease has been in the forefront of research in recent times. It is a group of conditions where the body has trouble converting the energy from food into a usable form of energy in the body. It can be either genetic and found in childhood or acquired and found later in life. Due to the lack of energy from food, mitochondrial disease can make you feel very tired, weak, and achy.
Symptoms
- Fatigue
- Muscle weakness
- Poor weight gain
- Body aches
- Seizures
- Chronic infections
- Muscle loss
- Eye movement problems