Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Tired All the Time
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS for short) is an illness
characterised by persistent medically unexplained fatigue.CFS
may also be called myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME),Epstein-Barr
disease,post-viral fatigue syndrome,or chronic fatigue and
immune dysfunction syndrome (CFIDS).
Chronic fatigue syndrome has frequently been viewed as
hypochondriacal behavior or "yuppie flu".But most experts now
agree that chronic fatigue syndrome is a distinct disease with
physical symptoms.
The most prominent symptom of CFS is an unexplained feeling of
fatigue,which is not relieved by rest.Symptoms of chronic
fatigue also include muscle and joint pain, muscle weakness,
bowel problems,unexplained headaches, forgetfulness,poor
concentration,confusion,poor temperature control and difficulty
sleeping.Fibromyalgia and arthritis are frequent accompaniments
to patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.
The cause of chronic fatigue syndrome is not well understood.
Conditions that have been proposed to trigger the development of
chronic fatigue include virus infection and toxins.Some theories
suggests that chronic fatigue is related to
stress,overwork,physical inactivity,problems with the immune
system,low blood pressure,or hormonal
imbalance.Colitis,hypoglycemia and brucellosis can also cause
chronic fatigue syndrome.
Regardless of the cause, chronic fatigue has a major impact on
the quality of life.
Chronic fatigue syndrome is very hard to diagnose, and many
people go for years without knowing that they have it. No
laboratory tests are available to confirm a diagnosis of chronic
fatigue syndrome.The diagnosis of CFS is made only if no other
cause,including side effects of drugs,is found to explain the
fatigue.
Unexplained chronic fatigue cases can be classified as CFS if
the patient has a minimum of four of the following eight
symptoms:impairment of short-term memory and concentration,sore
throat,tender lymph nodes,muscle pain,multi-joint pain,headaches
of a new type or pattern or severity,unrefreshing sleep,and
fatigue lasting more than 24 hours after physical exertion.
For a patient to be officially diagnosed with chronic fatigue
syndrome, the symptoms must have persisted for at least six
months.
If the patient's symptoms do not meet the criteria for CFS, then
the condition is referred to as idiopathic chronic fatigue.
Chronic fatigue syndrome is a frustrating illness that affects
people of all ages.Because there is no specific diagnostic test
for chronic fatigue syndrome,no one knows how many people suffer
from this illness.It is estimated that half a million Americans
suffer from CFS. Women are diagnosed with chronic fatigue
syndrome two to four times as often as men are.It's not
clear,however,whether CFS affects women more frequently - or if
women report it to their doctors more often than men do.
Treating CFS presents a significant challenge to people with
chronic fatigue and their healthcare practitioners.