Nov 17, 2009 11:55 pm US/Eastern
CBS 2 HD Special Report: Why Women Are Tired
If You Are Constantly Ready To Fall Asleep There Could Be More At Work Here Than Overwork Or Stress From Children
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
Are you feeling run down? Think the daily grind of work, kids and household is the cause of your exhaustion?
You may be wrong.
In fact, there are much more serious medical factors which could be causing your fatigue -- and in some situations, they could be putting you at serious risk.
If you're constantly exhausted, a hidden medical problem could be to blame.
Like many women Dana Meltzer was battling exhaustion. For her, it was especially bad in the middle of her workday.
"I'm getting ready either to go to a meeting or have e-mails that I need to attend to and I just feel really tired," Meltzer said.
Instead of ignoring the problem, Meltzer and her doctor got to the bottom of it, and simply adjusting her heart medication gave her energy again.
"All we did was change the dosage and that really seemed to do the trick," Meltzer said.
Some women are quick to blame their multitasking lifestyles for feeling tired, but hidden medical problems can also be to blame. One of the most common is
anemia -- related to heavy periods.
"When you lose blood you lose the amount of oxygen that can be delivered to the body and when that happens you can actually get tired," said Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum of Lenox Hill Hospital.
Iron supplements are a quick fix, and green leafy vegetables are packed with the mineral.
Too much caffeine can quickly backfire.
"It's unfortunate that we really rely on caffeine as being a pick-me-up because, actually, in some people it could turn off the entire system and make you more fatigued," Dr. Steinbaum said.
Eliminating caffeine from your diet may make you even more tired for a few days, but later can give you a needed energy boost.
Low thyroid levels leave millions of women dragging. By the age of 60 almost 17 percent of women will have some thyroid disorder and most won't know it. Often the first sign that something could be wrong is fatigue.
Food allergies don't always result in rashes and upset stomachs. Even mild intolerances can zap your energy.
"If you eat something and about 30 minutes later you start feeling that fatigue, think about the food that you've just eaten because that could be part of the problem," Dr. Steinbaum said.
Heart issues in women aren't always obvious. If you're suddenly tired it could be your heart sending out a medical SOS.
"If you're somebody who's been very, very active and all of the sudden you start feeling really fatigued, feeling run down doing those things that you're used to doing before, that actually could be heart disease," Dr. Steinbaum said.
And don't forget, even after you've ruled out all the medical reasons you might be tired -- nothing can be quite as effective as a good night's sleep.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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