Fatigue in women can be a simple matter of poor lifestyle choices. It may, however, be an indication of a serious problem such as heart disease. Manageable conditions such as anemia and hormonal imbalances may also be responsible for a woman feeling abnormally tired.
People tend to associate hormones primarily with sexual issues, however, hormonal imbalance is believed to be among the top causes of fatigue in women. It can affect females ranging from teenagers to those who have passed menopause. Hormones help regulate numerous bodily functions and when a woman's hormonal levels are abnormal, fatigue can serve as an indicator. The problem with hormonal imbalance is that it is often difficult to diagnose because the other symptoms such as headaches, weight gain, and depression can be associated with a number of conditions.
Anemia is a major cause of fatigue in women. This is a condition that may result from excessive blood loss. This means that something as common as a heavy menstrual cycle can cause a woman to become anemic. If this is the problem, the woman is also likely to feel cold at a time when other people are not. Anemia is usually treated by increasing a person's iron intake.
Failure to maintain a healthy lifestyle can cause fatigue in women. When people are too busy, changes in their eating habits are generally not for the best because they involve eating more food with fewer nutrients. In many cases, the majority of a person's diet may be composed of foods that have negative characteristics, such as high cholesterol and large amounts of saturated fats. Combined with a lack of exercise, the result is often a harsh toll on the body that is manifest through symptoms such as fatigue.
The culprit could also be heart disease. According to the United States (US) National Library of Medicine, heart disease is the number one killer of women in the US. Fatigue is one of the common symptoms of this condition. Women are often tipped off by the fact that normal activities begin to make them extremely tired. Although many people associate energy with food and calories, they often fail to realize that blood is a transporter. When a person has a heart disease, there is often an inadequate flow of blood resulting in an insufficient supply of nutrients to certain organs, which can make a woman feel tired.