A doctor has warned people who are tired all the time not to dismiss the feeling as it could be an indicator of a more serious condition.
It's common to catch yourself yawning if the office gets too warm or when you get a little too comfortable while watching the latest Netflix drama, but if your feeling of tiredness is constantly overshadowing your day-to-day life, there could be more to it.
Doctor James Wetherby, a cardiologist, has explained that persistent fatigue is actually one of the 'earliest and most overlooked symptoms' of another condition - one that could prove fatal if gone untreated.
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That condition is heart failure and it occurs when your heart isn't able to pump blood around your body as well as intended.
Heart failure can happen suddenly or it can progress slowly over months or years. Either way, research from the British Heart Foundation (BHF) has revealed that 40 percent of people with heart failure were initially diagnosed late, and part of the reason for that is because people didn't realize symptoms they were experiencing were an indicator of the condition.
The BHF explains that heart failure affects how your body works, including your breathing and muscles, and that in turn can cause fatigue.
'Feeling increasingly tired or weak at rest which gets worse with movement' is a symptom, the foundation explains. Per Surrey Live, Dr Wetherby added: "When your heart is under strain, it struggles to deliver oxygen-rich blood to the muscles and tissues, leaving you feeling utterly drained.”
Fatigue due to heart failure can come in different shapes and sizes, with Professor Julia Newton, a consultant geriatrician with more than 20 years’ experience researching and treating people living with fatigue, saying: "For some people, fatigue is a constant presence, while for others, it comes and goes."
Speaking to the BHF, Professor Newton continued: "It can also be linked to symptoms like brain fog and muscle aches.
“Essentially fatigue is the overwhelming feeling of lacking energy. People often describe it as a battery running out. They might start the day with a full battery, but it runs down too quickly.
"Another common sign of fatigue is when people wake up feeling just as exhausted as they did yesterday, even after sleeping reasonably well.”
The BHF encourages people to see a doctor if you experience persistent fatigue, or any other symptoms of heart failure.
There are four other main symptoms, including:
- fainting or feeling lightheaded
- new persistent cough
- shortness of breath when you’re active or resting
- swelling in your feet and ankles which can spread to your lower body.
Emily Brown