Chronic-FatigueJust another Totalaccessnet.com Blogs weblog

At first glance, you would think that the term “chronic fatigue” says it

all. In medicine, any disease, disorder or illness that has the word

“chronic” attached to it means that they persist for more than 6 months,

either recurring or not. However, chronic fatigue means more than that.

While it seems pretty straightforward, there is actually so much more to

this disorder (or disorders) than what its name suggests. It could mean

anywhere from persistent headaches, flu-like symptoms or fatigue that goes

on for weeks and months. Some even have to suffer for over a few years.

Some never really fully recovered.

Patients normally have to suffer from flu-like sickness that does not

subside from medications or rest. Also, there is some degree of

debilitating exhaustion that limits one from functioning well. Many

patients describe this exhaustion as being worn out even before getting up

in the morning. In fact, chronic fatigue is not resolved simply by taking a

nap or a longer sleep.

The reverse is often true- the lesser activities a patient performs, the

higher are the chances that the illness will get worse. With chronic

fatigue, a person is also constantly plagued with foggy thoughts and

unstable concentration. As if to make it much worse, the person also

simultaneously feels joint and muscle pains, disturbed sleep, sore throat,

and general sense of absurd health.

But that is not the end of it. For some, these symptoms develop

psychological stress that in turn develops anxiety, depression and

irritability. These conditions pose great risks of becoming full-blown

disorders if appropriate interventions are not administered.

The sad fact is, people who are affected with chronic fatigue syndrome used

to be very healthy, very active individuals. They used to lead very normal

lives that were free from any of the aforementioned symptoms. This makes

one wonder how a perfectly healthy person – in fact one who probably had

led a very active, if not exceptionally energetic life – turn into someone

who is perpetually sick? Good question, but one that is difficult to

answer.

There are actually no clear answers as to why chronic fatigue syndrome

develops in one person and not to another. Current studies and clinical

evidence however suggests that chronic fatigue syndrome can develop after

contracting a serious infection or after experiencing extreme levels of

stress. Having said that, there are numerous medical cases that purport to

these theories, so to speak.

There are, for example, valid estimates where 96% of people who develop

chronic fatigue used to actively exercise prior to the onset of the

disease. Majority of the patients were also at the prime of their lives

when they developed the disease. It is not surprising therefore that this

disorder is coined as the “yuppie disease”, because it occurs at the time

when a person is supposedly healthy and full of life.

After the onset of the disease, the lives of these people are changed

drastically. They get stuck in their beds and quit their jobs because it is

very taxing to get up. They had to abandon their roles and obligations

because they do not have even enough energy to take care of themselves. In

fact, they had to live a very sedentary and weak life because they are

exhausted all the time.

Indeed, life for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome sufferers is hard, oftentimes

debilitating.