Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: The Basic Facts

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is an illness that exhibits symptoms in patients like constant exhaustion and flu-like symptoms, that do not go away as true flu normally does. Persons who suffer from CFS find themselves experiencing extreme fatigue for more than a day after doing any strenuous physical activity.

Symptoms

The following is a list of symptoms one may experience while suffering from CFS according to a study conducted by a International Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Study Group:

Loss of ability to remember or to be able to concentrate

Sore throat

Axilla (armpit) and neck lymph nodes that become slightly enlarged and become painful

Muscle soreness that cannot be explained away as having occurred from normal causes

Joint pain without accompanying redness or swelling that is experienced in more than one joint

Unusual headaches that differ in type of pain, in pattern or in the severity of pain

Disturbances in sleep patterns

Intense exhaustion following normal type and duration of exercise

Other symptoms reported by CFS sufferers have been:

Pain in the abdominal area

Intolerance to alcohol

Bloating

Pain in the chest region

Cough that is chronic (over a long period of time)

Dizziness

Eyes and mouth that become noticeably dry

Earache

Heartbeats that become irregular in timing

Stiffness of joints especially in the early morning

Nausea

Sweating while asleep at night

Periods of depression, feeling anxious or experiencing panic attacks

Experiencing periods of being short of breath

Feeling tingling sensations

Noticing weight loss

Physicians have reported two types of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome; they are Sudden Onset and Gradual Onset. They report that the Sudden Onset, seems to occur quite suddenly and is often times followed symptoms of a flu-like virus, or the patient may have recently suffered a severe infection or some other type of illness just prior to noticing the CFS symptoms. Some patients reported with having suffered an emotional stress prior to the symptoms. The Gradual Onset type of CFS were patients that observed milder symptoms that appeared more slowly over time, and increased in intensity. Because their symptoms occur over time and are mild most of these patients did not pay as much attention and may have thought they were experiencing other mild diseases or simply dismissed them as being caused by possibly stress or some other vague reason. Not until their symptoms became chronic that they become concerned enough to consult a physician.

Also Referred To As:

You may have heard CFS referred to by other names such as: simply Chronic Fatigue or Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS). Others call it Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), or Post-Viral Fatigue Syndrome (PVFS).

It does not matter much which name you chose to call this illness, the effects must be overwhelming to the sufferer and to their family. As you can imagine those suffering from either form of CFS must experience devastation, as the disease robs them of energy to complete even simple daily tasks. CFS patients are in chronic pain and long-term pain has been known to lead to depression. Physicians often times have difficulty diagnosing CFS due to the widespread symptoms those who suffer from it may exhibit.

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