Tired all the time

Tired all the time or TATT is a phase that patients use that may have a number of different meanings: Feeling constantly tired is often not the result of a medical problem or illness, or may caused by only a brief and mild illness, such as a cold.
 * a constant lack of energy
 * persistent or regular fatigue
 * problems staying awake, for example in the evening
 * exhaustion that lasts longer than a person expects

Symptom recognition
Tiredness is considered a normal part of life for most people, and as a result is often not taken seriously. There is no medical test to assess tiredness, but there are many different tests that can identify many of the possible medical causes of fatigue.

"Tired all the time" is a frequent experience of healthy people, for example the tiredness caused by a newborn baby making someone short of sleep, excessive working hours, lack of exercise (or too much exercise), being underweight or obesity; these are fundamentally different to having persistent and disabling chronic fatigue that does not improve with rest or self-care, may be unexplained, and could be a symptom of an illness.

Comparison with myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome
"DR E.G. DOWSETT: One of the most striking features of ME is that the patient is not tired all the time! Extreme and sudden variability of energy levels both within and between episodes of illness differentiate this syndrome from other diseases associated with fatigue."

Although many different diagnostic criteria exist for chronic fatigue syndrome, all involve:
 * a group of different symptoms, not simply chronic fatigue or tiredness
 * long-lasting duration of symptoms
 * the hallmark symptom is now understood to be post-exertional malaise, rather than chronic fatigue
 * symptoms significantly interfere with everyday life, to the degree that the person is forced to reduce some activities

Potential treatments
Treatment for persistent tiredness generally depends on the cause of the tiredness, for example
 * lifestyle changes including
 * getting enough sleep
 * adequate rest
 * reducing caffeine or stimultants
 * healthy eating
 * reducing excessive activity (if present)
 * addressing any medical factors including low mood or stress
 * checking side effects of any existing medication, non-perscription drugs, and over-the-counter herbal remedies; these may be list daytime sleepiness/drowsiness, sedation, somnolence, or fatigue

Chronic fatigue
Chronic fatigue is a medical symptom defined by
 * problematic fatigue
 * persisting for at least three months, which is the medical meaning of chronic
 * may be mild, moderate or severe
 * can have many different causes but is sometimes unexplained.

Chronic fatigue is often harder to address than tiredeness.

Learn more

 * Why Am I So Tired? - WebMD
 * What Medicines Can Make You Tired? - WedMD
 * Dec 11, 2012, How Tired Is Too Tired? - Prevention.com