Chronic-FatigueJust another Totalaccessnet.com Blogs weblog

Taking care of one’s health is the best thing that one can do to avoid all

the physical illnesses. It may be painful to some to do it but it is in

fact the simplest way if you don’t want to be affected with health

disturbances. One of the most common illnesses that people complain about

is the CFS, or chronic fatigue syndrome.

It is sometimes called post-viral fatigue, Epstein-Barr or myalgic

encephalomyelitis disease. At other times, this is referred to as the

chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction syndrome, or simply CFIDS. This CFS

illness is often considered yuppie flu, or hypochondriacal behavior.

Recently, health experts agreed that the illness is distinct and has

physical symptoms.

The most common symptom is an unexplained fatigue feeling, in which it can

not be easily relieved by some rest. Other physical symptoms are:

• Muscle or joint pains or weakness
• Unexplained headaches
• Bowel problems
• Poor concentration
• Confusion
• Forgetfulness
• Difficulty in sleeping
• Poor temperature control
• Arthritis
• Fibromyalgia

Some Causes

It was never understood what causes chronic fatigue syndrome. However,

there are conditions which believed to trigger chronic fatigue syndrome

such as toxins and virus infection. In some studies, the disease can be

related to physical inactivity, immune system problems, low blood pressure,

hypoglycemia, overwork, stress, hormonal imbalance, brucellosis, and

colitis. Regardless, chronic fatigue syndrome is not a simple health case

that can be ignored as it can provide major disturbance on the patient’s

quality of life.

Not Easy to Diagnose

It is often hard to detect if one is suffering with chronic fatigue

syndrome. In many cases, it would go for years before a patient is found to

have the illness. The reason is there are not any laboratory tests that can

confirm or diagnose such illness. The diagnosis can only be made if the

patient exhibits no other causes, including drugs’ side effects.

If the patient suffers four from the eight symptoms stated below, they can

be diagnosed with chronic fatigue illness.

• Short-term memory impairment or difficulty in concentration
• Tender lymph node
• Sore throat
• Multi-joint pains
• Muscle pains
• Headaches
• Un-refreshing sleep; and
• Fatigue that lasts more than a day.

If four, or more, of the above symptoms are suffered by the patient for six

consecutive months, they will be officially and medically diagnosed with

the syndrome. Otherwise, the condition will be most diagnosed as another

illness, the idiopathic chronic fatigue. Chronic fatigue syndrome may not

sound serious to others, but this can be frustrating illness to others as

the effects can be so much troublesome to most especially it entails daily

life style. What is worse about is it can affect people of all walks of

life, whether children or adult.

The problem with diagnosis is also the reason why there is no known exact

number of people suffering from the syndrome. Only an estimation of half

million Americans were suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome. Women are

found to suffer more than men, though the statistic is not clear whether

the illness affects more women due to a different condition and lifestyle

or if only that women report their condition more than men do.

Regardless of which, it is always advised that proper health care is

practiced all the time as it is one way to avoid CFS, or any illness, for

that matter.