Hi Most of the time fatigue can be traced to one or more of your habits or routines, particularly lack of exercise. It s also commonly related to depression. On occasion, fatigue is a symptom of other underlying conditions that require medical treatment. Lifestyle factors Taking an honest inventory of things that might be responsible for your fatigue is often the first step toward relief. Fatigue may be related to: Use of alcohol or drugs Excess physical activity Jet lag disorder Lack of physical activity Lack of sleep Medications, such as antihistamines, cough medicines Unhealthy eating habits Conditions Unrelenting exhaustion may be a sign of a condition or an effect of the drugs or therapies used to treat it, such as: Acute liver failure Anemia Anxiety Cancer Chronic fatigue syndrome Chronic infection or inflammation Chronic kidney disease Concussion COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) Depression (major depressive disorder) Diabetes Emphysema Fibromyalgia Grief Heart disease Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) Medications and treatments, such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, pain drugs, heart drugs and antidepressants Multiple sclerosis Obesity Pain that s persistent Sleep apnea Stress Traumatic brain injury Causes shown here are commonly associated with this symptom. Work with your doctor or other health care professional for an accurate diagnosis. Since fatigue is a symptom of an underlying condition, the treatment depends upon the condition that is causing the fatigue, regardless of whether it is physical, psychological or a combination of the two. There may be a lag time between when the illness has been treated and the intensity of fatigue symptoms; some symptoms may resolve as soon as the underlying condition is treated. For example, individuals who are anemic feel much better as soon as their red blood cell count increases, while those recovering from infectious mononucleosis may require weeks to have their energy levels return to normal Fatigue as a symptom can occur as the result of many causes and therefore, prevention is not an issue. More importantly, the early recognition of fatigue will allow a person to seek medical care and potentially have an earlier diagnosis of the underlying cause made. Sometimes, symptoms like fatigue arise gradually and it is difficult for the person to realize that there is a problem. It may take an outside perspective from a friend or family member to appreciate a difference in function. Self-awareness of gradual decline in body performance is often difficult as a person makes repeated small accommodations to complete daily activities. Regards DR DE