Discerning the Early Symptoms of Fibromyalgia

No one at this time knows the cause of fibromyalgia, and while this is a bewildering disorder it has been studied, analyzed, and researched by medical researchers for over 150 years. Before the disorder even had a name, those who suffered from it could only report a extensive assortment of symptoms that appeared unconnected. Ninety percent of people of suffer from fibromyalgia are women who usually have female relatives with the syndrome. While many who sufferer from fibromyalgia are not officially diagnosed until their 30's or 40's, the early symptoms of fibromyalgia are distinctly apparent in teenagers for doctors who are sharp enough to recognize what they are seeing in younger women.

The early symptoms of fibromyalgia are frequently indistinguishable from other more common diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome, muscle tension, sleep disturbance, mild to moderate depression, and fatigue. Doctors are inclined to address these symptoms independently, not recognizing as yet that these are the forerunners and early symptoms of what will become full-blown fibromyalgia.

A Checklist Of The Early Symptoms Of Fibromyalgia

When a doctor is treating a young lady who demonstrates some early symptoms of fibromyalgia, he or she ought to inquire about the existence of additional symptoms even though the patient does not mention them in the diagnostic consultation. A few of, these symptoms could include morning muscle stiffness, specific points on the body that are painful and tender to touch, frequent diarrhea and/or constipation, mild depression, excessive fatigue, skin rashes, exacerbated symptoms in heat or cold, oral thrush during times of stress, foul body odors, dryness of mucous membranes, and frequent colds and flu. Acknowledging these as early symptoms of fibromyalgia, the doctor can use this chance to educate the patient on this progressively problematic syndrome, early treatment interventions, and how to recognize increasing symptoms for what they are.

Both doctors and mental health care providers recognize that when the early symptoms of fibromyalgia are explained to a patient, this provides both early medical treatment and prevents the patient from becoming emotionally stressed because of symptoms that otherwise make no sense. It is not uncommon for the early symptoms of fibromyalgia to be misdiagnosed as psychiatric disorders such as hypocondriasis, major depression, somatoform pain disorder, factitious disorder and skulking to seek drugs and medical attention. To experience these uncomfortable symptoms and then be told that they aren't "real" merely contributes to the patient's suffering.

Discerning the early symptoms of fibromyalgia is not rare for a professional acquainted with the syndrome. Assuring the patient that this is indeed a actual disorder and prescribing an appropriate symptom management regimen can make the difficult years to come much more bearable.