The 5 signs your constant tiredness is actually chronic fatigue syndrome – as 90% of cases are missed

THE hamster wheel of life  – work, eat, sleep, repeat – can leave many people feeling as though they're constantly exhausted.

And according to a recent study, the average Brit spends more than seven-and-a-half years of their lifetime feeling overtired.

However, there's a chance that this tiredness could be a sign of a bigger problem, with extreme exhaustion not just being down to reducing stress at work or getting those much-needed zzzzzs in.

It could be down to chronic fatigue syndrome, also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), which is a complex disorder characterised by ongoing, debilitating tiredness.

Here, Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and clinical director of , talks The Sun through the main signs your exhaustion could actually be a symptom of chronic fatigue syndrome - as experts warn 90 per cent of cases go undiagnosed.

1. Tired to your bones

The main symptoms is tiredness, but the fatigue patients experience is completely different to ‘normal’ tiredness. It’s not like the tiredness you get when you overdo it – it is often a total exhaustion of every muscle in your body.