Overview of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or CFS

Are you extremely tired all of the time and it does not get better even with bed rest? You may not just be tired. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a real disease. The onset can be after a person has an infection such as a cold or a viral illness. Or it can come on with no apparent starting point. I myself have had three of my family members diagnosed with CFS, and they say it is not fun. Some of the symptoms exhibit themselves as flu-like symptoms. It drains one completely of energy. Unlike the flu or viral illness, it can last for months and even years.

Some of the other symptoms may include: memory loss, sleep disturbances, painful and mildly swollen lymph nodes in neck and armpits, pain the goes from one joint to another, a headache like one you have never had before differing in pain and severity, and extreme tiredness and exhaustion lasting for more than 24 hours. Some other symptoms may include: sore throat, dry mouth, earaches, chest pain, abdominal pain, shortness of breath, or irregular heartbeat (these are just a few of the other symptoms there are several more).

There are several causes that are associated with CFS. These include depression, iron deficiency (anemia), mild or chronic low blood pressure, virus infection (i.e. Epstein-Barr or human herpesvirus 6), low blood sugar, history of allergies, and/or dysfunction of the immune system. Since there are other diseases that mimic CFS and there is a lack of medical knowledge about the disease, CFS is very difficult to diagnose. In fact, most doctors will do tests for other diseases or conditions before they will rule it CFS. In other words, they call it CFS by means of elimination.

It has been proven that women are diagnosed with this disease two to four times more often than men. However, the reasons are unknown for these findings. They are not sure if women just report it more often or if they really do get it more often than men. Since there is little known about this disease, doctors have been unable to determine if there are any long lasting affects or risk factors associated with CFS.

There are a few complications that come with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. They include: depression, adverse reactions or side affects from medications and treatments, social isolation, lifestyle restrictions, and/or missing work.

Some of the treatments may include: treating low blood pressure, treating allergy symptoms, treating depression, moderating daily activity; and then there are some experimental treatments such as: Ritalin, D-ribose, acupuncture, corticosteroids, and even certain immune globulins or interferons (there are more however).

Unfortunately there is no known way to prevent this disease since so little is known about it. However, there are several ways people find to cope with CFS. One way is to seek counseling to help with any depression. Some people find joining a support group helpful while others say it adds to their stress making symptoms worse. (One of my relatives joined a group and had good luck. The other two did not like a group since it made them more nervous and edgy and intensified their symptoms. These two sought counseling and took anti-depression medications and had good luck.)

So if you or someone you know are/is extremely exhausted all the time and it is not getting better, seek medical attention immediately. Keep track of just how long the symptoms have been going on and how severe they are each day.

Source:

Personal experience of having relatives with CFS April 30, 2009www.mayoclinic.com/health/chronic-fatigue-syndrome April 30, 2009