Summer fatigue: See what can be read from the blood analysis

This is often the body’s natural response to heat, but in some cases, an underlying health problem may be the cause. One of the effective ways to find out what is going on with your body is a detailed blood test.

Why does the summer heat cause fatigue?

Hot weather has several effects on the body, which can lead to a feeling of fatigue of varying intensity. First of all, we sweat more in high temperatures, which dehydrates our organism. Dehydration can then lead to weakness and even dizziness. When we sweat, we also lose important electrolytes – especially the minerals sodium and potassium, which are key to the proper functioning of muscles and nerves.

In addition, we often have trouble sleeping during hot nights, and the feeling of tiredness from lack of sleep is unfortunately starting to become a part of summer even in our latitudes. To make matters worse, in tropical weather there is a higher physical effort because the body has to spend more energy to cool down.

In addition, the overall subjective perception of fatigue from the heat can be significantly worsened by many diseases, which sometimes we don’t even need to know about.

If you feel that heat exhaustion is limiting you in normal daily activities, consider visiting a general practitioner and having a more detailed blood test. It can detect a whole range of diseases that often have no specific symptoms other than fatigue.

What can a detailed blood test reveal?

Blood tests can provide valuable information about your health. Some of the key parameters that can be investigated include:

Iron and hemoglobin level – Low iron or hemoglobin levels may indicate anemia, which is a common cause of fatigue.

Glucose level – A blood sugar test can reveal diabetes or pre-diabetes, which can cause fatigue

Hormone level – For example, thyroid hormone levels (TSH, T3, T4) can reveal problems that affect energy levels.

Creatinine level – Creatinine is a waste product of muscle metabolism that is filtered by the kidneys and excreted in the urine. An increased level of creatinine in the blood can indicate impaired kidney function, also causing fatigue.

Electrolytes – Sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium are key to maintaining fluid and energy balance.

Inflammatory markers – Elevated levels of markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP) may indicate inflammation or infection hidden in the body.

Hemato-oncological markers – Blood tests can also reveal more serious problems, such as oncological diseases of the blood and hematopoiesis. These diseases affect blood cells and their functions, which can lead to fatigue, weakness, and other serious symptoms.

Hemato-oncological diseases affect the blood, bone marrow and lymphatic system. The most common include:

Leukemia – A malignant disease of the blood and bone marrow that leads to an overproduction of abnormal white blood cells. Symptoms include fatigue, frequent infections, bleeding and bruising. The disease can be acute or chronic.

Lymphomas – A malignant disease of the lymphatic system that affects the lymph nodes and other lymphatic tissues. Symptoms include enlarged nodes, fatigue and unexplained weight loss.

Myeloma – Malignant disease of plasma cells in the bone marrow that can cause bone pain, anemia and kidney damage.

Early diagnosis is essential for the successful treatment of hemato-oncological diseases. Thanks to modern treatment options, there is a good chance of curing or keeping the disease under control for many years.

Therefore, do not hesitate to see a doctor if you have symptoms such as severe and frequent fatigue, possibly unexplained bleeding, frequent infections or enlarged lymph nodes. It is always better to find out that it is a minor medical problem, such as an infection that can be easily treated, than to underestimate the growth of a tumor!

How to prepare for a blood test?

Preparing for a blood test is simple but important to get accurate results:

Fasting – Some blood tests require you to fast (not eat or drink anything except water) for several hours before the blood is drawn. Blood sampling is therefore most often done on an empty stomach in the early morning hours.

Hydration – Make sure you are well hydrated as dehydration can affect the results.

Medicines – Tell your doctor about all medications and supplements you are taking, as some may affect test results.