Ask A GP: When Should I Worry About Fatigue?

Exhausted manAccording to YouGov, a third of UK adults say they feel tired about half of the time.Some research suggests 5-7% of people who see their GP complain of fatigue, and recent surveys say the average British adult only gets three nights of decent kip a week.No wonder it feels like everyone, everywhere, is constantly exhausted. But if we’re all so wiped out, how can we be expected to tell “normal” tiredness from more concerning fatigue?Here, we asked Dr Suzanne Wylie, GP and medical adviser for IQdoctor, when to worry. When should I see a doctor about fatigue?Speaking to HuffPost UK, Dr Wylie explained that fatigue “is a very common complaint in general practice and, in most cases, is related to lifestyle factors such as lack of sleep, stress, or overwork”. But sometimes, it can be linked to underlying health issues – and its persistence can be a red flag. “As a GP, I would suggest that you should start to worry about fatigue if it is persistent, lasting more than a few weeks, or if it is unexplained by your usual activities or recent events,” she said.Aside from longer-lasting fatigue, exhaustion with other symptoms should be investigated, too.“You should also seek medical advice if the tiredness is accompanied by other symptoms such as unintentional weight loss, night sweats, fevers, breathlessness, chest pain, persistent cough, or changes in bowel habit,” the GP said. Meanwhile, fatigue linked to low mood, disrupted sleep, and a loss of interest in hobbies “may indicate depression or anxiety, which also warrants assessment”. She added, “Additionally, if you notice symptoms such as increased thirst or urination, palpitations, dizziness, or heavy menstrual bleeding, it could point towards conditions like diabetes, thyroid disease, or anaemia”. Anything else?Per the NHS, you should see your doctor if fatigue lasts longer than a few weeks, if it affects your day-to-day life, and/or if you’ve noticed other symptoms like unexplained weight loss or mood changes. And if your partner or someone else tells you you’ve been “making gasping, snorting or choking noises when you’re asleep,” visit your doctor as this could be a sign of sleep apnoea.“In short,” Dr Wylie ended, “while occasional tiredness is normal, persistent or unexplained fatigue, especially when associated with other symptoms, should always prompt a review with your GP”. Related...I Made A Walking Change Ahead Of Clocks Going Back, And My Sleep Is Already Better5 Steps A Sleep Expert Takes To Wake Up Feeling Refreshed6 Ways To Sleep Better With SAD (According To A GP)

Comments

Breaking news

Full list of store closures in November 2025 from Poundland to Morrisons

Metro

If Trump’s East Wing demolition shocks you, check out what he did to priceless works meant for the Metropolitan Museum of Art

about 2 hours ago

Kid Rock is already making a play to be the first musician to perform in Trump’s $300 million ballroom

Independent

Comments

Similar News

Nail tech baffled after client's strange response to being asked for payment

Trump Calls Off San Francisco 'Surge' After Mayor Asks Him 'Very Nicely'

Nail tech 'speechless' after woman's bizarre reaction when asked for payment

'I cannot understand a word she's saying': Moment frustrated Trump asks French reporter 'where are you from?' after being stumped by her accent during West Bank question

Autistic volunteer ‘sacked’ from Waitrose for asking for pay gets job offer from rival store

Nigel Farage's 'PMQs strike' mocked as records show he hasn't asked for extra questions in months

Madeleine McCann 'stalker' dad asked her 'do you think we bought you from Kate?'

Autistic man ditched by Waitrose after asking for wage gets paid Asda job

Joshua Zirkzee to ask Manchester United to leave in January transfer window

Kim Kardashian's defiant statement during courtroom showdown with robbers as she tears into vile claim: 'They're saying I was asking for it'

Can a Beach Really Be Evil? Ask the Sun-Seekers in Good Sahel.

Former Chicago gang leader asks Pritzker for clemency following Trump pardon

GPs set to ask all women who attend NHS health check if they could be menopausal in major win for Daily Mail campaign

Journalist files suit against Melania Trump saying she is stopping him from asking questions about her and Epstein

Tucker Carlson loses it at MAGA student who asked him question about his dad: ‘I’m gonna have to kick your a**’

Nurse was left 'sobbing and shaking' when transgender NHS worker repeatedly asked 'when she was getting changed' in female locker rooms at hospital

The moment Victoria Beckham is asked about husband David's affair with Rebecca Loos in new interview

Mother of autistic volunteer says he 'absolutely loved' stacking shelves for free at Waitrose - before they 'sacked' him when family asked if he could be paid

'Ask your daughters': German chancellor hints at migrant sex attack problem as he defends calling for 'very large scale' expulsions

Madeleine McCann family 'stalker' 'asked ChatGPT if she could be missing child'

Breaking news

Full list of store closures in November 2025 from Poundland to Morrisons

Missoma recalls earrings over ‘serious chemical risk’ including cancer

Police to launch drones as ‘first responders’ in emergencies in London – is it a good thing?

Building collapses in Manchester city centre forcing hundreds to evacuate

Is this the biggest hint yet Donald Trump will hold onto the presidency after 2028?

Asylum seeker who celebrated after stabbing hotel worker guilty of murder

Are press trip freebies taxable income for freelances and influencers?

Croatia reintroduces military conscription as Europe worries about Russia-Ukraine war

Samara Joy reflects on her Grammy wins and the creative journey behind 'Portrait'

Another US strike in Caribbean targets alleged drug-running boat, killing 6, Hegseth says

Horrified students watch as high-angle rescue instructor plummets to death in front of them, cops say

Huge haul of illegal weight loss jabs seized in record raid at UK factory

My health insurance company forced me to carry our last-chance IVF baby for a week after he died. Where’s the humanity?

If Trump’s East Wing demolition shocks you, check out what he did to priceless works meant for the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Kid Rock is already making a play to be the first musician to perform in Trump’s $300 million ballroom

Coast guard security shoot at U-Haul truck after masked driver tries to back into California base

Emissions from UK residents and businesses fell by 0.5% in 2024, data shows

Shots fired at vehicle after it backs into US Coast Guard base in the San Francisco Bay Area

Two years in an Israeli jail without charge. He came home to find his family dead and home destroyed

Asylum seeker found guilty of stabbing migrant hotel worker to death with screwdriver

Israeli man sentenced for illegally selling Greek Cypriot land in breakaway north

New research challenges long-held theory about dinosaurs before asteroid hit

‘If you’re in a hurry’: Company that designed Louvre getaway forklift release spoof ad after £76m pound heist

Killer who murdered couple and dumped their bodies in suitcases on Clifton Suspension Bridge jailed

The NBA hoped to begin its season on a strong note. Now it faces a gambling scandal

Companies passed 37% of tariff costs on to consumers – and that figure is set to jump

Pete Hegseth unleashes a new ‘lethal kinetic strike’ on boat in Caribbean: ‘We will treat you like we treat Al-Qaeda’

Average Briton to spend more than £1,300 in six weeks before Christmas, poll finds

Lyft driver arrested after firing shots at passengers who slammed car door too hard, police say

Ask A GP: When Should I Worry About Fatigue?

What happened when Londoner tracked down and confronted his bike thief

Man given life sentence after killing and dismembering couple before stuffing remains in suitcases

Man guilty of killing stepdaughter with a hammer before stabbing her husband to death

EU accuses Meta and TikTok of breaching transparency rules

What does Plaid Cymru stand for?

New trial finds two commonly available drugs may delay Alzheimer’s

In a California farming region, researchers are mapping rural heat to protect farmworkers

Why a German freight lift has become the viral star of Louvre heist

Ukraine foiled plans to reconnect Zaporizhzhia power plant in time for Putin’s birthday

Trump’s toughest sanctions yet on Russia may upend oil markets and test India’s ties with Moscow

Next expected to reveal sales momentum despite consumer pressure

Reform-led council slammed over plan to spend £75,000 on flags

Israeli man sentenced to 5 years for illegally selling Greek Cypriot land in breakaway north

Key witness removed word ‘enemy’ from evidence over China spy case as spotlight turns on Rishi Sunak

Social Security recipients get a 2.8% cost-of-living boost in 2026, average of $56 per month

Inflation jumps 3 percent in September as Trump defends his new tariff war with Canada

Strike dates set in union’s pay dispute with defence company Leonardo

CNN host Christiane Amanpour battling cancer again and urges people to ‘listen to their bodies’

Psycho Actor Anthony Perkins' Son Lays Into Monster Season 3

On the Jaw-Dropping West End Girl, Lily Allen Sets A New Bar For The Confessional Break-Up Album

Here's The Maximum Time Doctors Say It Should Take To Poop

Man shot wife and their dog before killing himself in murder-suicide

The one-minute Canadian advert that has left Donald Trump fuming

National Guard deployments in Washington, DC, and Portland, Oregon, are focus of court hearings

‘We are more than blood diamonds and Ebola’: Sierra Leone seeks investment in a post-aid world

Watch Ronald Reagan ‘anti-tariffs’ advert that made Trump terminate trade talks with Canada

Steve Bannon says ‘there is a plan’ for Trump to be president in 2028: ‘We had longer odds in 2016 and 2024’