causes for general fatigue
There are numerous potential causes of fatigue as a major complaint. They range from those that cause poor blood supply to the body's tissues to illnesses that affect metabolism, from infections and inflammatory diseases to those that cause sleep disturbances. Fatigue is a common side effect of many medications. While numerous patients with psychological conditions often complain of fatigue (physical and mental), there are also a group of patients where the cause of fatigue is never diagnosed. The following table summarizes some common causes of fatigue but is not meant to be comprehensive:
Key Points. 1  Fatigue in cancer patients may have more than one cause. 2  How cancer treatments cause fatigue is not known. 3  Anemia is a common cause of fatigue. 4  Side effects related to nutrition may cause or increase fatigue. 5  Anxiety and depression are the most common psychological causes of fatigue in cancer patients. The emotional stress of cancer can cause physical problems, including fatigue. It's common for cancer patients to have changes in moods and attitudes. Patients may feel anxiety and fear before and after a cancer diagnosis. These feelings may cause fatigue.