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Everyone experiences occasional periods of feeling tired or worn out. Typically, a good night's sleep or a change of scene resolves the problem. If, however, the fatigue is chronic and it is accompanied by other symptoms, it can be a warning sign of a number of medical conditions.

Various infections invariably leave a person feeling tired, often long after the disease is cleared up. Many medications also produce fatigue. If you feel unduly tired as a result of taking a drug, contact your doctor.

Fatigue can also be a state of mind. Stress, boredom, overwork, and lack of stimulation or interest are among the many life circumstances that can produce fatigue.

Causes of fatigue

Addison's disease
This condition results in the gradual destruction of the adrenal glands, and consequently, a lack of adrenal hormones. Treatment involves medication to replace the hormones no longer manufactured by the ad­renal glands.

Anemia
There are several types of anemia, all of which are characterized by a subnormal number of red blood cells or decreased hemoglobin in the blood. As a result, the blood cannot deliver adequate oxygen to the body's cells. Chronic fatigue accompanied by pallor, achiness, shortness of breath, and other symptoms may indicate one of several kinds of anemia.

Depression
Chronic fatigue is often one of the first signs of serious depression. The person will complain of feeling tired all the time, and may stay in bed for days at a time.

Flu
This is a common respiratory infection caused by one of three groups of viruses. Although its acute phase usually lasts no more than a few days, general discomfort and fatigue can persist for weeks.

Hepatitis
This liver infection is caused by a virus and can result in mild to incapacitating fatigue. The most common kind is spread by person-to-person contact and through food and water contaminated by poor sewage disposal.

Insomnia
Failure to get enough sleep is an obvious cause of fatigue. The sleeplessness may be due to a sleep disorder or, more commonly, the result of another disease such as depression.

Leukemia
Leukemia is a group of diseases, all resulting from uncontrolled production of abnormal white cells that eventually crowd out the red blood cells and platelets.

Mononucleosis
This viral infection affects mostly teenagers and young adults. Little is known about how it is transmitted, and its severity may range from mild to debilitating. The fatigue that is typical of the disease may persist for several weeks.

Pregnancy
An overwhelming feeling of tiredness is an almost universal symptom of the first three months of pregnancy. It is common to sleep many more hours than usual and still feel fatigued.

Premenstrual syndrome
Many women complain of feeling tired and out-of-sorts in the week or two before their menstrual periods.

Pulmonary diseases
Any disorder that interferes with the intake of adequate air can result in a lack of oxygen and feelings of fatigue. Other symptoms may include wheezing and bluish skin and nailbeds.