Many people go to their doctor each year, looking for answers about fatigue and a general unwell feeling. While you may not be able to put your finger on the exact cause as to why you feel so badly, blood tests will rule out any significant concerns. Doctors often categorize these feelings as general malaise.
Malaise is a sense of discomfort or feeling ill without any significant symptoms. You may think that you’re coming down with the flu or you’re fighting off an infection.
The problem with diagnosing this type of symptom is that it occurs very frequently in life. You can have malaise if everything is going wrong, and it’s stressing you out. Additionally, it can happen because something is going on in your body.
What Causes General Malaise?
When a person goes to a doctor and states that they are tired and feels sick all the time, the doctor will run some routine bloodwork. A CBC or complete blood count can show if your sugar levels are acceptable, your white blood cell count is normal, and your body is not low in iron.
This forth-telling test may solve the mystery, or it may deepen it. If you are suffering from malaise, then here are ten things that could be causing it.
1. Diabetes
Diabetes is a condition that is characterized by having too much or too little glucose in the body. Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas. It kicks into action when you eat sugar or carbohydrate-laden food.
If a person has too much glucose in their blood, they have hyperglycemia, which is Type II. If a person’s body makes too much insulin, then they have hypoglycemia. Diabetes is a severe condition and needs immediate attention.
When your blood sugar levels are too low, you can feel dizzy and can pass out. When your sugar levels are too high, you will feel sick, have headaches, experience periods of blurred vision, and pins and needles sensations. Your general unwell feeling could be coming from an underlying glucose issue in the body.
2. Depression
Chronic depression is a significant problem around the world. When the mind becomes overwhelmed, it can cause a chemical imbalance that affects all aspects of your life. Depression can cause symptoms such as:
- Fatigue
- Digestive Issues
- Sleeping too much or too little
- Eating too much or too little
- Restlessness
- Anxiety
- Panic Attacks
- Loss of interest in things you once loved
- Isolation
- Unable to function as you once did
- Hallucinations
- Delusional thoughts
- General lethargy
Though no blood test can point to chronic depression, most doctors are familiar with this common problem and can easily recognize the symptoms. Thankfully, being depressed is treatable with therapy and herbal supplements.
3. Inflammation
Inflammation in the body can be a severe issue. It can cause cancer and other inflammatory problems with your joints. A doctor can quickly discover an inflammatory problem by doing a SED rate test.
The erythrocyte sedimentation rate blood test can identify any inflammatory activity that’s happening in the body. If the numbers are too high, it can be a cause for alarm that tells doctors that they need to do further investigation. When the body has excess fluid floating around, it can make you feel generally ill.
There is always a reason for an inflammatory response, but it may take some investigative work to find the answer.
4. Thyroid Disease
Your thyroid is a small gland located in your throat. It’s often compared in size to a butterfly. This little gland controls a lot of the body’s functions. When your thyroid is not producing enough T3 hormone for your body, then you have hypothyroidism.
When your body is producing too much of the T3 hormone, then you have hyperthyroidism. Either condition can cause you to feel tired, have heart palpitations, gain or lose weight, and have a disruptive sleep schedule. Since your thyroid is so important, any issues with this gland need to be treated as it can throw your whole body off-kilter.
5. Cancer
Cancer can occur in almost any area of the body, though some are rarer than others. Many times, blood tests looking for tumor markers or low platelet counts can help doctors make a diagnosis, but some cancers don’t leave any signs behind.
Ovarian cancer is one that can be present without any indications in your blood work. Having malignant tumors inside your body can cause you to have a general unwell feeling and overwhelming exhaustion.
6. Auto-Immune Conditions
An auto-immune condition is where the body attacks healthy tissues. Traditionally, the body is designed to attack foreign invaders, but when an auto-immune disease is present, it attacks both good and bad tissues and cells.
Some of the most common auto-immune conditions are lupus, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, Addison’s, Graves, or Inflammatory bowel disease. Also, thyroid conditions like Hashimoto’s fall under this category.
There is no cure for auto-immune conditions, but there are ways to help manage these conditions. The goal is first to identify the issue and then treat the symptoms.
7. Anemia
Having low iron is common in women, but it’s a severe condition that requires prompt treatment. Low iron can cause you to feel miserable, and the malaise can be overwhelming. There are many things that you can do to get your iron levels back to normal, including modifying what you eat.
Though anemia can occur naturally, there is almost always an underlying issue. Cancer, ulcers, heavy mensuration cycles, or any internal bleeding can cause you to become anemic. Additionally, if you have poor eating habits and you aren’t getting enough iron in your blood, then you can become anemic.
Anemia can be treated with supplements, or you can increase your diet to include iron-rich foods like spinach. If the cause is from ulcers, then treating the ulcers will restore iron levels to normal in the blood. Iron infusions are often necessary to get the body’s levels where they need to be.
8. Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a serious condition where you stop breathing during your rest. It’s a potentially fatal issue because you can die in your sleep. A CPAP machine can help to keep your airways open at night.
Many people who have sleep apnea are not aware of the issue. They usually only find out when someone else observes their obnoxious snoring and complains about it. Daytime sleepiness and a general feeling of malaise are often the first signs.
The doctor will need to conduct a sleep study to see if sleep apnea is to blame for your symptoms. If you are overweight or have a thick neck area, then this may be one of the first considerations to solve your healthy mystery.
9. Menopause
Menopause is an exceedingly difficult time for a woman in her life. Hormonal changes cause all sorts of feelings and sensations that make sleep difficult. Hot flashes and night sweats can leave you dragging the next day.
While you may feel that you’re coming down with something serious, your hormones can make you feel miserable. There are things you can do to help you through this challenging time. However, it’s advisable to try herbal supplements for hormone replacement rather than estrogen as it’s been known to cause cancer.
10. Heart Disease
You’ve probably heard experts say that heart disease is a silent killer because so many people don’t know they have it. Heart disease is common among those who are obese or have genetic links to this condition.
People with heart disease often develop congestive heart failure. This condition causes excess fluids to build in the body. When the fluid levels rise, the arms and legs may swell. The heart has a hard time pumping blood to all the extremities when the disease is present.
There is no cure for heart disease, but you can manage it with a healthy diet and exercise. If you are feeling exhausted and have a general unwell feeling, then it’s entirely possible your heart could be the culprit.
Final Thoughts on Dealing with Overwhelming Malaise
In many instances, your feelings of unwell will never be diagnosed. For others, some blood tests and a routine examination from a doctor will pinpoint the cause. Two of the best things that you can do for your body is to get proper nutrition by eating a well-balanced diet and getting plenty of exercise.
A sedentary lifestyle alone can make you feel miserable. Also, you need to get 6-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night. If your eating habits and sleep schedule are off, you can feel as if your body is shutting down.
Lastly, supplementation is an excellent way to boost your health. While your diet plays a big part, you still may need assistance in getting the proper nutrition. Taking iron, B, C, D, potassium, and calcium are all essential and can help you to feel better.
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