You slept eight hours, you had your coffee, and by two in the afternoon you are wading through mud. In a city that runs at Dubai's pace it is easy to file that under stress and carry on.
Sometimes that is right. But fatigue lasting more than a few weeks is one of the few symptoms where a simple blood test frequently produces a specific, treatable answer.
Iron deficiency and anaemia
The most common cause we find, particularly in women with heavy periods and in people following restricted diets. Iron stores can be depleted long before a standard full blood count looks abnormal, which is why ferritin is measured alongside it.
Alongside tiredness it often brings breathlessness on stairs, cold hands, brittle nails and hair shedding.
Thyroid dysfunction
An underactive thyroid slows everything down: fatigue, weight gain, feeling cold, dry skin, low mood. An overactive one causes a different kind of exhaustion, with palpitations and disturbed sleep.
A TSH test is the starting point, with further thyroid tests added if it comes back abnormal.
Vitamin D and B12 deficiency
Vitamin D deficiency is widespread in the UAE despite the climate, for reasons covered in our separate article on the subject. B12 deficiency is common in vegetarian diets and in people on long-term acid-suppressing medication, and it causes fatigue alongside pins and needles or difficulty concentrating.
Blood sugar problems
Fatigue after meals, unusual thirst, frequent urination or a slow recovery from minor infections can all point at raised blood glucose. An HbA1c gives a three-month average and needs no fasting.
Sleep apnoea and sleep quality
Eight hours in bed is not eight hours of sleep. Obstructive sleep apnoea fragments sleep without waking you fully, and the daytime exhaustion it causes is often mistaken for something else entirely. Snoring, waking unrefreshed and morning headaches are the clues worth mentioning.
Common questions
What blood tests should I have for tiredness?
A sensible starting panel covers full blood count, ferritin, thyroid function, vitamin D, B12 and HbA1c. Our fatigue panel bundles these, and a doctor interprets them together rather than one at a time.
How long should tiredness last before I get it checked?
More than two to three weeks of unexplained fatigue that is not improving with rest is worth investigating, and sooner if it comes with weight loss, fever or night sweats.
Do I need to fast for these tests?
Not for most of them. HbA1c and thyroid tests do not require fasting. Your doctor will tell you if anything on your particular panel does.
This article is general health information, not medical advice, and does not replace a consultation. Care at Smart Care Polyclinic is provided by DHA-licensed clinicians.