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Chronic Fatigue Diagnosis
Posted by admin | Posted in diagnose | Posted on 02-08-2009
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, more commonly known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
is a disorder or groups of disorders that is characterized by the onset of
fatigue that persists for more than 6 months. It is characterized by a host
of symptoms that range from muscle and joint pains to decreased ability to
perform even the least demanding activities.
This syndrome is diagnosed by examining the symptoms of an individual
against two groups of symptoms which are commonly demonstrated by CFS
patients.
The first sign that healthcare professionals look for is the persisting
chronic fatigue that is not related to any other condition that results to
exhaustion. Tolerance to fatigue among CFS patients is very low, thus they
get severely exhausted after performing even the simplest and least
demanding of tasks. In fact, it is not uncommon for CFS patients to move
from one place to another without feeling drained.
Most of them also get sick for several days to several weeks after
performing minor activities. Most of them also exhibit flu-like symptoms
after performing low intensity tasks.
The second criteria for establishing the presence of Chronic Fatigue
Syndrome is the onset of four of any of the following symptoms: myalgia or
muscle pains, arthralgia or joint pains in multiple locations, head aches
of more serious severity, persistent soar throat which recurs, tenderness
of the cervical and axillary lymph nodes, impaired short-term memory and
concentration, malaise which is experienced after physical exertion, and
sleep disturbance.
Other symptoms that healthcare professionals look for are abdominal pain,
bloating, dizziness, nausea, chronic cough, chest pains, shortness of
breath, dryness of the mouth and eyes, weight loss, onset of minor and
major psychological problems such as depression, anxiety, irritability and
panic attacks, diarrhea, alcohol intolerance and skin and tingling
sensations.
Diagnosis is facilitated only after all conditions that are known to
produce the aforementioned symptoms are ruled out. In general, healthcare
professionals encounter difficulty in diagnosing chronic fatigue syndromes
due to the similarities and generality of symptoms it presents. Apart from
the fact that fatigue is a common result of many diseases, it is also a
very common sign of most chronic conditions. CFS also presents no symptoms
that are visible and obvious enough for easy identification.
On top of these, there are also no diagnostic and laboratory tests that can
help in establishing the presence of the disorder. Patients of CFS also
display varying symptoms and level of severity which makes most patient
experience differences in symptoms and severity. However through exclusion
of the following factors, most doctors can arrive at a diagnosis:
1. The presentation of identifiable conditions that result to fatigue and
decreased level of activities. Most doctors look for symptoms of
hypothyroidism, a condition wherein the thyroid produces lower levels of
thyroid hormones. Other notable conditions that may exhibit symptoms
similar with CFS are lupus, Lyme disease, multiple sclerosis, bipolar
disorder, mononucleosis or kissing disease, depression and diabetes.
2. The usage of medications that result to fatigue. Obviously, there are a
number of medications, drugs and substances that can cause physical
exhaustion.
3. Recurrence of previous diseases, disorders and illness that can produce
extreme exhaustion such as cancer.
4. Substance abuse, more specifically excessive alcohol consumption.
5. Obesity which is defined as having a Body Mass Index (BMI) or more than
45.
