Tiredness Q&As
Published by Bupa's health information team, January 2009.
Answers to questions about tiredness
This section contains answers to common questions about this topic. Questions have been suggested by health professionals, website feedback and requests via email.
- Is there anything I should exclude from my diet to make me less tired?
- Could tiredness be a sign of a serious disease?
- Are there any dietary supplements I can take to help relieve my tiredness?
- What has depression got to do with tiredness?
- How is exercise supposed to help? Wouldn't it make you more tired?
Is there anything I should exclude from my diet to make me less tired?
Many people say exclusion diets have helped with their tiredness, but this is controversial. There isn't much good scientific evidence that they work for very long.
Explanation
Many diets claim to improve symptoms of fatigue. For example, the anticandida diet claims to improve symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), but this is controversial.
Information about the diet suggests that an overgrowth of candida albicans, a type of yeast, can cause tiredness. Small amounts of candida albicans usually live in your digestive system. Anticandida diets vary, but most are low in products containing sugar and yeast.
There is little scientific evidence supporting these diets. One recent study showed that an anticandida diet is no better at improving fatigue than eating healthily. Exclusion diets can also put extra demands on you because you have to cut out so many foods.
If you decide to try an exclusion diet, you need to make sure you still have a healthy, balanced diet that doesn't cause you to lose or put on weight. Weight change can increase tiredness and fatigue as well as cause other health problems.
Make sure you have at least three meals a day. If you miss meals, especially breakfast, your blood sugar levels fall, which can cause fatigue. Try not to eat foods that are high in sugar such as biscuits and cakes. These can give you an initial surge of energy that quickly wears off, leaving you feeling tired and low.
If you want to try an exclusion diet, ask your GP or another healthcare professional whether it's a suitable option for you. Your GP may suggest that you also see a dietitian who will make sure that you have a healthy, balanced diet.
Sources
- Tiredness. Royal College of Psychiatrists. www.rcpsych.ac.uk, accessed 7 June 2008
- Chronic fatigue syndrome and myalgic encephalopathy and diet. The British Dietetic Association. www.bda.uk.com, accessed 7 June 2008
- Hobday RA, Thomas S, O'Donovan A et al. Dietary intervention in chronic fatigue syndrome. J Hum Nutr Diet 2008; 21(2):141-149
- Vitamins and minerals. Food Standards Agency. www.eatwell.gov.uk, accessed 7 June 2008
- National Candida Society. www.candida-society.org, accessed 7 June 2008
Could tiredness be a sign of a serious disease?
Persistent tiredness can be a sign of a physical disease, but this is unlikely. Fatigue will often get better if you make certain lifestyle changes. If you still feel tired for a long time after making all the recommended changes, visit your GP who can do tests for an underlying cause.
Explanation
It's likely that trying to follow a healthy lifestyle will help you overcome your tiredness. This would include:
- a balanced diet
- regular exercise
- a good sleep routine
- ways to cope with stress
About nine out of 100 people with persistent tiredness have a physical illness. So if your symptoms continue despite a healthy lifestyle, it's important that you visit your GP.
Some conditions that can cause long-term tiredness include:
- diabetes
- anaemia
- thyroid disease
- pregnancy
- infections, such as flu or glandular fever
- sleep problems, such as insomnia, sleep apnoea or restless legs syndrome
- cancer
If tests rule out all other possible conditions, your doctor may diagnose you with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). This causes unexplained exhaustion and fatigue that lasts at least six months.
Sources
- Tiredness. Royal College of Psychiatrists. www.rcpsych.ac.uk, accessed 7 June 2008
- Fatigue and cancer. Cancerbackup. www.cancerbackup.org.uk, accessed 7 June 2008
- Chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis. National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), August 2007. www.nice.org.uk, accessed 7 June 2008
Are there any dietary supplements I can take to help relieve my tiredness?
It depends on the cause of your tiredness. If your fatigue is a sign of a recognised medical condition, it will usually improve if the condition is treated. However, if it isn't due to a physical condition, there is little good evidence that supplements help.
Explanation
Physical causes for fatigue, such as iron-deficiency anaemia, should improve with treatment.
If blood tests show that you have iron-deficiency anaemia, your GP may prescribe you iron tablets, advise you to eat more iron-rich foods or refer you to a dietitian.
Foods that contain a lot of iron include:
- meat
- cereal products, including iron-fortified bread
- dark green vegetables
Many nutritional supplements, including vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids, claim to relieve tiredness. However, these claims are controversial. Better research needs to be done to show whether or not they really help. Some supplements can be expensive and contain high doses of certain nutrients which can be harmful in excess. This is the case for vitamin A, vitamin B6 and iron.
The UK Government says that vitamin and mineral supplements are "no substitute for a healthy balanced diet". If you decide you want to take a supplement, it's sensible to keep to a multivitamin and mineral supplement, with no more than 100 percent of the recommended daily intake. Speak to your GP before taking any dietary supplements.
Sources
- Chronic fatigue syndrome and myalgic encephalopathy and diet. The British Dietetic Association. www.bda.uk.com, accessed 7 June 2008
- Anaemia - iron deficiency. Clinical Knowledge Summaries. http://cks.library.nhs.uk, accessed 7 June 2008
- Vitamins and minerals. Food Standards Agency. www.eatwell.gov.uk, accessed 7 June 2008
- Iron and health. British Nutrition Foundation. www.nutrition.org.uk, accessed 7 June 2008
- Joint Formulary Committee, British National Formulary. 55 ed. London: British Medical Association and Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, 2008
What has depression got to do with tiredness?
Depression tends to make you feel tired all the time and can also interfere with your sleep.
Explanation
Feeling tired all the time can be a symptom of depression.
If you are depressed, it may take you an hour or two to fall asleep at night and you may wake up earlier than usual in the morning.
Usually, some simple changes to your sleep routine will help you overcome your tiredness. It can help to:
- go to bed and get up at the same time each day
- not take daytime naps
- perform bedtime rituals - such as reading a book or having a warm bath - which will tell your body that it's time to sleep
- make sure your bedroom is quiet, dark and a comfortable temperature
- not have caffeinated drinks or smoke late in the evening
If you think your tiredness could be due to depression, speak to your GP. Your doctor may give you antidepressants, most of which improve sleep within a few weeks.
Sources
- Tiredness. Royal College of Psychiatrists. www.rcpsych.ac.uk, accessed 7 June 2008
- Depression. Royal College of Psychiatrists. www.rcpsych.ac.uk, accessed 7 June 2008
- Joint Formulary Committee, British National Formulary. 55 ed. London: British Medical Association and Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, 2008
How is exercise supposed to help? Wouldn't it make you more tired?
No, in the long term doing regular exercise should make you less tired and give you more energy.
Explanation
You may feel you are too tired to exercise. However, if you start slowly with a small amount of gentle exercise, over time you're likely to feel less tired. Walking or swimming are good activities. Try to exercise on a regular basis. You can then increase how much you do as you get stronger over the next weeks and months.
Not exercising can make the problem worse. You will quickly become unfit if you don't exercise or don't do as much as you usually would. As little as a week in bed can cause your muscles to lose a lot of their strength. As you become more unfit, you will find it harder and more tiring when you do exert yourself.
If you have been diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), also called myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), you may be given exercise therapy. This aims to increase your strength and stamina gradually without making you even more tired.
Sources
- Tiredness. Royal College of Psychiatrists. www.rcpsych.ac.uk, accessed 7 June 2008
Related topics
- Tiredness
- Anaemia due to iron deficiency
- Chronic fatigue syndrome or myalgic encephalomyelitis
- Depression
This information was published by Bupa's health information team and is based on reputable sources of medical evidence. It has been peer reviewed by Dr WH Simpson, MBBS, General Practitioner, and by Bupa doctors. The content is intended for general information only and does not replace the need for personal advice from a qualified health professional.
Publication date: January 2009
Tiredness factsheet
Visit the tiredness health factsheet for more information.
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