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Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Self Test

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Conditions That Exclude A Diagnosis Of Cfs

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome | Triggers, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment
  • Alcohol or other substance abuse, occurring within 2 years of the onset of chronic fatigue and any time afterwards. Severe obesity as defined by a body mass index equal to or greater than 45. Note: BMI values vary considerably among different age groups and populations. No normal or average range of values can be suggested in a fashion that is meaningful. The range of 45 or greater was selected because it clearly falls within the range of severe obesity. Any active medical condition that may explain the presence of chronic fatigue, such as untreated hypothyroidism, sleep apnea and narcolepsy, and iatrogenic conditions such as side effects of medication.

  • Any active medical condition that may explain the presence of chronic fatigue, such as untreated hypothyroidism, sleep apnea and narcolepsy, and iatrogenic conditions such as side effects of medication.

  • Any past or current diagnosis of a major depressive disorder with psychotic or melancholic features bipolar affective disorders schizophrenia of any subtype delusional disorders of any subtype dementia of any subtype anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa.

  • Any unexplained abnormality detected on examination or other testing that strongly suggests an exclusionary condition must be resolved before attempting further classification.

    Biomarker For Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Identified

    Stanford scientists devised a blood-based test that accurately identified people with chronic fatigue syndrome, a new study reports.

    Ron Davis is the senior author of a paper that describes a blood test that may be able to identify chronic fatigue syndrome.Steve Fisch

    People suffering from a debilitating and often discounted disease known as chronic fatigue syndrome may soon have something theyve been seeking for decades: scientific proof of their ailment.

    Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have created a blood test that can flag the disease, which currently lacks a standard, reliable diagnostic test.

    Too often, this disease is categorized as imaginary, said Ron Davis, PhD, professor of biochemistry and of genetics. When individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome seek help from a doctor, they may undergo a series of tests that check liver, kidney and heart function, as well as blood and immune cell counts, Davis said. All these different tests would normally guide the doctor toward one illness or another, but for chronic fatigue syndrome patients, the results all come back normal, he said.

    A paper describing the research findings was published online April 29 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Davis is the senior author. Esfandyarpour, who is now on the faculty of the University of California-Irvine, is the lead author.

    What Causes Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

    The cause of CFS is not yet fully understood, but it is likely that several factors contribute to its development. There are changes in the immune system and body chemistry.

    CFS is usually triggered by a viral infection, such as glandular fever or influenza, but any infection may be the trigger. It is likely that the potential for getting CFS is genetic and runs in families. Some people experience ongoing effects of COVID-19 infection, known as long COVID, which are very similar to the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome.

    Other factors that may contribute include:

    • emotional or physical distress
    • multiple joint pain without joint swelling or redness
    • headaches of a new type, pattern or severity
    • unrefreshing sleep
    • tiredness that can last for more than 24 hours after physical or mental effort.

    Some people also report a range of other symptoms such as nausea, loss of appetite, irritable bowel syndrome , bloating, diarrhoea, irregular heartbeat, chest pain, jaw pain, night sweats, increased sensitivity to alcohol or medication, chronic cough, dizzy spells or dry eyes.

    The severity of symptoms can vary from day to day, or even within a day.

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    Investigate Your Viral Levels

    Before you think fatigue is all in your head, request a viral panel from your doctor to make sure your immune system isnt bogged down by a virus. Everyone has viruses living inside their body, but its often hard to tell if they causing active problems or not.

    Once you have a virus in your body, it never goes away. In healthy individuals the virus or viruses often stay dormant, but when health falls below par or you have prolonged stress, antibiotic overuse, vaccinations, toxic lifestyle, and/or surgeries, a virus can be reactivated. A classic example of this is when you or someone you know gets a cold sore when theyre under a lot of stress, as cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus. Another example of this is when someone who had the chickenpox in childhood gets shingles later in life, its just a reactivation of the chickenpox virus.

    A virus works by invading healthy normal cells and take advantage of them, using them to multiply. By living inside your cells, they are protected from typical medicines that swim around in your bloodstream, making them hard to treat.

    The most common viral signs are fatigue, night sweats, fever, and painful joints. If these symptoms are familiar, its time to consider checking in with a doctor or naturopath that can get you tested. Here are just a few things to consider testing for, although your doctor should know exactly what you need:

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    Exercise Can Worsen The Symptoms Of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/chronic Fatigue Stndrome

    Pin on Fatigue

    While exercise can be helpful for more common forms of fatigue, the relationship of exercise to myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome is much more complex. Exercise can, in fact, temporarily worsen the symptoms of CFS — a phenomenon sometimes referred to as “post-exertional malaise” or “payback.” This can strike ME/CFS patients about 12 to 48 hours after exercise and make their symptoms worse for days or even weeks.

    Even so, ME/CFS patients are not discouraged from exercising. A carefully structured and balanced program of exercise can, over time, help build stamina. Not exercising can cause deconditioning, which can make symptoms worse.

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    What Home Remedies Treat Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

    Physical activity performed at a comfortable pace is important for everyone to maintain good health, including people with chronic fatigue syndrome. People with CFS need to learn how much activity is helpful and when to stop, so they do not increase their level of fatigue.

    In general, people with CFS should pace themselves carefully and avoid excessive physical or emotional stress. Remember, the goal is to avoid increasing fatigue or pain. Maintain a regular and manageable daily routine to avoid a relapse or increase of symptoms. Exercise should be supervised by a knowledgeable health-care provider or physical therapist.Total rest should also be avoided as it may make your fatigue worse. You should maintain physical activity at a comfortable pace. If you increase your level of physical activity, do so gradually.Decreased consumption of alcohol and caffeine at night may help you sleep.Try to minimize social isolation.

    Always ask your doctor about any new treatment, including herbal supplements.

    If You Complain Of A Generalized Lack Of Energy You Are Complaining Of:

    Fatigue refers to a lack of energy. It is different from weakness, which refers to a loss of strength or power, and drowsiness, because you can feel tired without feeling drowsy or sleepy. Although people sometimes use these terms interchangeably, from a medical perspective the symptoms are distinctly different.

    Chronic fatigue is one aspect of the specific medical condition myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, but ME/CFS involves more than just fatigue. You can have chronic fatigue without having chronic fatigue syndrome. ME/CFS is extreme, long-term fatigue that is associated with other multiple symptoms. Also, in ME/CFS, other possible causes of fatigue have been ruled out.

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    Diagnostic Criteria For Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

    Your doctor will order tests only when you meet diagnostic criteria. It means you should have persistent, unexplained fatigue for at least six months with other symptoms. Here is more about these symptoms:

    Fatigue

    Persistent tiredness or fatigue is the most common symptom of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. The extreme exhaustion lasts for more than 24 hours after mental or physical exercise and keeps you from living comfortably. The tiredness you experience in CFS will not go away with rest, is different from everyday tiredness, is not due to muscle weakness, is not like tiredness after over-exertion, and is not accompanied by loss of pleasure or motivation.

    Other Symptoms

    In addition to fatigue, there will be some other symptoms as well.

    • You will experience cognitive difficulties, such as bad short-term memory, poor concentration and reduced attention span. You may also find it difficult to organize your thoughts and feel disorientated.
    • You will experience sleeping difficulties. Some people are unable to sleep while others may face issues such as early waking or disrupted sleep/wake patterns.
    • You will notice muscular pains, headaches and joint pains as well.

    Some people with CFS have also reported some other symptoms, such as palpitations, nausea and dizziness.

    Severity of the Symptoms

    If your symptoms are mild, you will be able to do light domestic tasks with some difficulty. Still, you will be able to complete your jobs.

    Tips For Exercising Safely With Me/cfs

    New research into chronic fatigue syndrome

    If you feel you can tolerate some exercise, be guided by your doctor or specialist, but general suggestions include:

    • Experiment to find the type of exercise that works best for you. Choose from a range of gentle activities such as stretching, yoga, tai chi, walking and light weight training. Often, people find exercises lying down use less energy.
    • Keep an activity diary so you have a long-term picture of your performance levels and factors that might impact on your symptoms. Some people with ME/CFS find they feel good straight after exercise, but then crash later on, so make sure you monitor how you feel, hours to days after exercise.
    • Stop the physical activity well before you feel any symptom flare. Pacing yourself is very important.
    • Remember that the amount of exercise you can do will change from one day to the next.
    • Listen to your body if you dont feel up to exercising on a particular day, dont.
    • Find out as much as you can about your ME/CFS. Make sure you consult with health professionals who fully understand ME/CFS as a biomedical disease

    Read Also: How To Treat Fatigue From Sinus Infection

    Configuration And Microfabrication Of Assay

    The nanoelectronic assay structure consists of two conductive layers with an insulating layer in between. There are two additional protective oxide layers above and underneath the sensors . The nanometer-sized sensing region of the sensor consists of a 30-nm-thin oxide layer sandwiched between two 100-nm-thin gold layers. The top protective oxide layer is intended to prevent the exposure of the top conductive electrodes to the solutions. There is a thermally grown oxide layer underneath the bottom electrodes to electrically insulate the sensors from the substrate. Each sensors width is 3 m to 5 m. A scanning electron microscopy image of a single sensor is shown in . The sensors are designed in 3D format to improve the molecules-to-sensors hit rate and to help diffusion occur in multiple directions. The sensors were fabricated on 4-in silicon wafers following several optical photolithography, deposition, and etching procedures.

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    How Do I Know If I Have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

    Due to there being no specific cause of ME/CFS, there is no specific test used to diagnose chronic fatigue syndrome. ME/CFS can be difficult to recognize as many of the symptoms of the illness extreme fatigue, not alleviated by sleep, worsening symptoms after physical or mental effort , and problems concentrating, among other symptoms are also present in other medical conditions.

    If you suspect you might be suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome, it is important to see your doctor. Due to the lack of a specific or direct chronic fatigue syndrome test, such as an antibodies test, your doctors may begin to eliminate other conditions that may explain your symptoms based on a set of diagnostic criteria.

    To begin the diagnosis process doctors will check for several key criteria that must be present which include extreme fatigue , which does not improve with bed rest or sleep.

    Next, doctors inquire through questions and a physical exam to see if you are suffering from three of the core symptoms of ME/CFS:

    • Reduced capacity to partake in usual activities for a minimum of six months due to fatigue
    • Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, and waking up feeling unrested

    Along with the three core symptoms, you suffer from at least one of the symptoms below for a diagnosis of ME/CFS:

    • Issues with thinking and memory
    • Exacerbation of symptoms while standing or sitting upright

    Additional common symptoms and co-occurrences in CFS patients:

    How Is Me/cfs Diagnosed

    Pin on CFS &  Fibro

    There’s no single test to detect ME/CFS. A diagnosis is made after other possible known causes for symptoms have been excluded.

    The earlier the illness is recognised, the sooner you can get help to manage your symptoms. Many people with ME/CFS find it helps to keep a diary of their symptoms so that they can take this to their GP or specialist.

    Your GP will usually:

    • do a physical and mental examination to rule out other conditions
    • ask about recent travel, tick or insect bites, unusual infections, and drug and alcohol use
    • review current medication

    They may be able to make a diagnosis after 3 or 4 months of seeing a pattern of symptoms. Anyone suspected of having ME/CFS should be considered for routine blood tests to identify other possible illnesses. More investigation may be needed if the diagnosis remains in doubt.

    Some people with ME/CFS also have another long-term condition and it’s important that you talk to your GP about how to manage the symptoms of the 2 conditions.

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    How Does This Self

    For each of the following questions, you will be asked to select one of the following options to indicate the frequency of your symptoms: never, very rarely, rarely, occasionally, frequently, or always. Your unique answers will then be used to calculate your results and determine whether your symptoms are mild, moderate, or severe. Further unique educational information will be shown in accordance with your results, and all results are strictly confidential.

    Please note and acknowledge that this self-assessment is not intended to establish a physician-patient relationship, to replace the services of a trained physician or health care professional, or otherwise to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The aim of this quiz is to provide education about the condition. By filling out this self-assessment and clicking calculate you acknowledge that youve read and agree with this statement and agree to re-origins Terms & Conditions.

    Graded Exercise Therapy And Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

    Recommended treatment for CFS may also include graded exercise therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy .

    Graded exercise therapy is a doctor-controlled exercise program that starts with very gentle exercises such as 5 minutes of stretching per day and is increased gradually over time as a person gains strength.

    Combining a graded exercise program with CBT is recommended because it can help a person become more aware of their bodys capabilities and limits. This is important because overexertion can exacerbate symptoms of chronic fatigue.

    More research is needed to prove the effectiveness of these two methods for treating CFS.

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    What Is The Treatment For Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

    A treatment plan for CFS aims to relieve your symptoms to improve your quality of life. The plan should include:

    • a plan for how to manage stress
    • a very gentle exercise plan
    • a nutritious diet, with regular meals/snacks to keep up your energy
    • supplements if your diet lacks a good balance or if your blood tests indicate deficiencies
    • a sleep management plan, which may include medication
    • physiotherapy to help with pain and good breathing techniques
    • medication for pain
    • psychological input if you are particularly stressed or depressed.

    Healing & Recovering From Cfs

    CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME, Causes, Signs and Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment.

    While currently there is no specific medically approved treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome. There is much that can be done to manage and reduce symptoms with the right tools and techniques. Individuals present different symptoms and consequently need distinct forms of treatment to address the disorder and reduce any symptoms.

    At re-origin, we believe that chronic fatigue appears when the limbic system becomes overactive as a stress response due to triggering elements associated with ME/CFS and stays in emergency mode. We also believe that the symptoms brought on by CFS are temporary and can be reversed thanks to neuroplasticitythe brains ability to change and develop new neural pathways. Using specific neurocognitive exercises, it is possible to retrain your brain out of emergency mode and back to a place of safety and balance where well-being can naturally resume

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    Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Test

    Chronic fatigue syndrome is characterized by chronic exhaustion that affects the quality of your life. The fatigue does not go away even after adequate sleep or rest. Most people who have CFS have other symptoms as well, such as joint pains, muscular pains, poor concentration, disturbed sleep patterns and headaches. What causes this condition is not clear and it is not easy to diagnose it either. The problem is that you may have normal test results even when you have it. Your doctor will work closely with you to rule out other conditions first to make a diagnosis.

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