Women, more so than men, are often plagued by feelings of fatigue. While these feelings can occasionally be chalked up to an off day or just some bad weather, sometimes having continual, extreme fatigue can be a sign of an existing condition that requires medical attention.  Some of these causes of extreme fatigue in women are quite serious.  The following are seven possible causes for why you may be feeling extremely sluggish and should give you more reason to let your doctor know that you are experiencing chronic and extreme fatigue.

1. Anemia

This possible cause of fatigue usually strikes young women who are in their reproductive prime. Often a telltale sign of anemia is very heavy menstruation, fibroid tumors or uterine polyps. Anemia can also be caused by a recent birth. This condition causes fatigue because of a lack of hemoglobin in the bloodstream, a vital protein that is rich in iron and helps carry oxygen to various parts of the body. Lack of oxygen results in a lack of energy as your tissues conserve what air they have. It’s like hiking at a high altitude, you often move slower up high than lower down in an oxygen rich environment.

2. Underactive Thyroid

An underactive thyroid, often labeled as hypothyroid, is a common cause of fatigue in women. The thyroid gland is a small butterfly shaped organ in your neck and regulates how your metabolism works, such as how quickly it processes food into energy. It is believed that by the age of sixty, almost twenty percent of all women have some form of thyroid impairment but are largely unaware of it. Medication can be administered to help combat a sluggish thyroid.

3. Urinary Tract Infection

While more common symptoms of a UTI are burning or stinging during urination, these may not always be telltale markers of an infection. Undiagnosed urinary tract infections can linger for quite awhile, causing abnormal fatigue as the body attempts to fight off the infection.

4. Excessive Caffeine Use

Coffee and soda are both thought of as stimulants because they pack a heavy dose of caffeine. However, researchers have found that consuming too much caffeine can have the opposite effect as your body rejects the substance. Cutting back caffeine consumption on a daily basis can actually boost your energy levels.

5. Food Allergies

Food is the fuel that keeps your body running. However, some foods people simply cannot tolerate. While peanut allergies are a more dramatic display of this principle, certain food allergies can induce feelings of fatigue and sleepiness. Treating this condition involves a bit of guesswork and premonition. If you notice there is a certain food that always makes you feel tired, cut it out from your diet the best you can.

6. Sleep Apnea

Often hard to detect since most of the symptoms occur when a person is sleeping, undiagnosed sleep apnea can be a major cause of fatigue as it causes sleep to be periodically interrupted, leading to poor sleep quality. While snoring is the biggest indication of sleep apnea, tests conducted in a sleep laboratory are essential in diagnosing this possible fatigue inducer.

7. Undiagnosed Heart Disease

A very serious condition, having undiagnosed heart disease can not only leave you feeling exhausted after physical activity but it can also lead to life threatening conditions. Feelings of extreme exhaustion that crop up after even the mildest activities may be a sign from your body that your heart needs a checkup.

Fatigue can be an indication of a serious illness so don’t just brush it off.  As you can see from these seven common causes of extreme fatigue in women, most of the causes are serious and need to be checked out by a doctor as soon as possible.