What Are The Symptoms Of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Symptoms of CFS often mimic the flu. The following are the most common symptoms of CFS. However, each person may experience symptoms differently. Symptoms may include:
- Sensitivity to light
- Low-grade fever
- Depression
The symptoms of CFS may look like other medical conditions. Always talk with your healthcare provider for a diagnosis.
The Acute Stage Of Me/cfs
In the early, acute, febrile stage of ME/CFS, the diagnosis can be uncertain and other causes of fever need to be considered. Adequate rest and activity management are the mainstays of treatment. Premature resumption of activity or attempts to return to school can result in a relapse or increased severity of symptoms.
Support And Coping Skills
The young person with ME/CFS needs to learn to adapt to the reality of the illness, and integrate it into a meaningful life despite sometimes severe physical limitations. Above all, the young patient needs to develop a sense of achievement in her/his life, however, small.
All aspects of the young persons life might need to be addressed. She/he might need to deal not only with physical and cognitive limitations, but also with misunderstanding of the illness, fear, grief, anger, guilt and isolation. Sometimes having ME/CFS can result in abnormal illness behavior, such as denial of the reality of the illness.
A patients needs early in the illness might differ from her/his needs in later years, as health improvement is being achieved. Young patients should be encouraged to verbalize their fears and needs. Only the young person her/himself knows how she/he really feels. For instance, many young people fear getting behind their peers academically, never being able to catch up, and consequently losing friends. There should be opportunity to talk things through with a trusted professional who understands the illness. Although the parents can be present, the discussion should be primarily with the patient, so that she/he is also involved in decision making and feels part of the team approach. Teenagers usually need an opportunity for discussion without a parent present.
Our experience suggests that the following elements of basic supportive therapy can be helpful:
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Throw Her A Bone Now And Then
It might feel like your MIL is needy at times. She wants to rest, she doesnt want to dig the weeds today, work is too stressful for her, she wants to be in bed no later than 8:00 p.m. The list goes on and on. For goodness sake, throw her bone now and then! No. Scratch that. Throw her all the bones she wants and then some. I promise you the pay-off in terms of your health will be worth it.
Etiology Of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Etiology of CFS is unknown. No infectious, hormonal, immunologic, or psychiatric cause has been established. Among the many proposed infectious causes, Epstein-Barr virus, Lyme disease, candidiasis, and cytomegalovirus have been proven not to cause CFS. Similarly, there are no allergic markers and no immunosuppression.
Some people who have recovered from COVID-19 infection COVID-19 COVID-19 is an acute, sometimes severe, respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Prevention is by vaccination, infection control precautions Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Posttraumatic stress disorder is recurring, intrusive recollections of an overwhelming traumatic event recollections last > 1 month and begin within 6 months of the event. The pathophysiology… read more . In addition, in some patients COVID-19 seems to trigger typical CFS, but further study is needed to confirm this association and determine causality.
Various minor immunologic abnormalities have been reported. These abnormalities include low levels of IgG, abnormal IgG, decreased lymphocytic proliferation, low interferon-gamma levels in response to mitogens, poor cytotoxicity of natural killer cells, circulating autoantibodies and immune complexes, and many other immunologic findings. However, none provide adequate sensitivity and specificity for defining CFS. They do, however, underscore the physiologic legitimacy of CFS.
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Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Involves Severe Fatigue Not Caused By Underlying Medical Conditions Be Informed Of The Risk Factors And Treatment Measures
There is ongoing debate within the medical community about the best method of diagnosing chronic fatigue syndrome . Well-known medically focused organizations, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Mayo Clinic have defined clinical parameters that must be met in order to diagnose CFS as a medical condition.
A clinical diagnosis of CFS is given when a patient experiences excessive fatigue that is not considered a symptom of an existing medical condition. The fatigue does not get better after resting and may get worse after mental or physical exertion.
The US Department of Health and Human Services has in place a panel responsible for writing a report outlining how to diagnose CFS, which they now refer to as systemic exertion intolerance disease, or SEID.
Tips For Exercising Safely With Me/cfs
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
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Treatments For Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Since researchers do not yet fully understand the cause of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis and people with the illness can experience a wide variety of symptoms, multiple treatments exist. Treatments are aimed at managing and reducing the severity of CFS/ME symptoms, rather than at curing the illness.
Talking With Your Doctor About Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
If you are experiencing fatigue on an ongoing basis despite getting adequate sleep, talk to your doctor. While you could be facing chronic fatigue syndrome, many illnesses ranging from obstructive sleep apnea to iron-deficiency anemia can cause fatigue. Your doctor will need to ask questions and order tests to determine what is causing fatigue in your personal situation. Preparing for your appointment can help it go more smoothly.
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Housebound Or Bedbound With Me/cfs
About 25% of people with ME/CFS are housebound or bedbound. Those who are housebound may be able to undertake minimal daily tasks for themselves, such as brushing teeth, cooking or using a computer for short periods of time, but they have to pace their activity and often use aids to help them . They are unable to leave the house, often because this requires more energy than they have available. When they do leave the house, they often need mobility aids such as a wheelchair or mobility scooter, or other assistance . Recovery from a trip out of the house can take days, or longer.
Some people are so severely unwell that they are bedbound some or all of the time. The most severely unwell may be unable to undertake even simple tasks, like eating or going to the toilet by themselves. They may require additional medical devices, such as feeding tubes, to help them get enough nutrition and fluids, and can be totally dependent on carers.
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Essentials Of Diagnosis And Management
- Alison C. BestedAffiliations
- Lily ChuCorrespondenceCorrespondence: Address to Lily Chu, MD, MSHS, Independent Consultant, 16 Lorton Ave, Unit 4, Burlingame, CA 94010.
- Nancy G. KlimasAffiliationsInstitute for Neuro Immune Medicine, Dr Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL
- Jose G. MontoyaAffiliationsDr Jack S. Remington Laboratory for Specialty Diagnostics, Palo Alto Medical Foundation Research Institute, Palo Alto, CA
- Irma R. ReyAffiliationsInstitute for Neuro Immune Medicine, Dr Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL
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The Importance Of Feeling Understood
I managed to hold it together while in my lawyers office, but once outside I immediately broke down into tears.
Despite the fact that Im used to responses such as I get tired too and I wish I could nap all the time like you do, it still hurts when I hear them.
Its incredibly frustrating to have a debilitating condition thats frequently brushed off as being just tired or as something that could be fixed by lying down for a few minutes.
Dealing with chronic illness and disability is already a lonely and isolating experience, and being misunderstood only increases those feelings. Beyond that, when medical providers or others who have key roles in our health and wellness dont understand us, it can impact the quality of care we receive.
It seemed vitally important to me to find creative ways to describe my struggles with CFS so other people could better understand what I was going through.
But how do you describe something when the other person has no frame of reference for it?
You find the parallels with your condition to things people understand and have direct experience with. Here are three ways I describe living with CFS that Ive found particularly useful.
Getting Older And Me/cfs
There is very little information on getting older and ME/CFS, however people can develop ME/CFS at any age. Additionally, all of the strategies such as pacing to reduce PEM and managing symptoms still apply. As people age, other problems with their health may also arise, so discussing any new symptoms with their doctor important.
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Whatever You Do: Choose Your Battles
Chronic fatigue syndrome never misses a chance to be heard when, say, you have a late night with friends or you try to do some strenuous gardening. Knowing this, I only go to battle with this illness when its worth it. For me, this means saying no to things like the office social or volunteering for the PTA. But a Garth Brooks concert? HELL YEAH!
Pacing Activity For People With Me/cfs
Pacing, or keeping within your available energy, is a self-management strategy to help people with ME/CFS make sure that they dont overdo activity or exercise. It reduces the likelihood of triggering PEM and can help reduce symptoms. Pacing is not a cure for ME/CFS and does not treat the underlying, physical cause of the disease.
The goal of pacing is for activity to be sustainable, so that the person can have some stability in their symptoms and what they can do each day. Pacing should be used in conjunction with rest.
The most challenging aspect of pacing is that PEM is very often delayed by as much as 24-48 hours, which can make it difficult to recognise when youve done too much. Using tools like an activity diary or heart rate monitor help you learn about your body and how much activity you can safely tolerate.
Suggestions on how to pace yourself include:
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How Do You Know If You Have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Fatigue is the main symptom of CFS, but it is a different type of fatigue that you would expect to feel after being up all night, while experiencing a high level of stress, or after a busy workday. Instead, it is an overwhelming, severe kind of fatigue that doesnt get better after sleeping and gets worse after mental or physical activity. It can severely lower the affected persons level of activity and overall stamina from what it was prior to developing the condition, and therefore can impact educational, work, social and personal interactions.
People who are diagnosed with CFS have also experienced other symptoms for 6 or more months, as listed below:
- feeling very ill and exhausted after mental or physical activity
- difficulty sleeping
- swollen lymph nodes in the armpit or neck
- sore throat
Other chronic fatigue symptoms that are not used for diagnosis but may be experienced by people with the condition include:
- dizziness, fainting, balance problems, or problems remaining upright
- sensitivities or allergies to odors, chemicals, foods, noises or medications
- night sweats or chills
- mood problems such as depression, mood swings, irritability, panic attacks or anxiety
Be sure to see your doctor if you are experiencing these symptoms to find out if you have CFS or another condition in order to begin receiving treatment.
Support For Those Living With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
According to the CDC, an estimated 836,000 to 2.5 million Americans suffer from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome . CFS is a debilitating condition characterized by extreme fatigue that is not relieved by rest and often worsens with physical or mental activity.
Despite its prevalence, CFS is often misunderstood and under-recognized. There is currently no cure for CFS, but there are treatments that can help manage symptoms and improve quality of life.
In addition, support from family and friends is essential for those living with CFS. Here are some ways you can support a loved one with CFS:
-Educate yourself about the condition.
-Offer to help with daily tasks or errands.
-Make time to listen and be patient.
-Encourage them to stay active and engaged in activities they enjoy.
-Check in regularly and offer your help if needed.
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Keep Track Of Your Symptoms And Their Onset
Tracking the frequency, timing, and severity of your symptoms might help your doctor better understand what youre experiencing. Tracking your activity level and symptoms can also help you draw connections and learn your limits so that you can reduce flare-ups.
When tracking your symptoms, remember to write down everything ailing you, not just fatigue. People with CFS/ME often also have issues with pain, cognition, such as memory and concentration, and sleep. You might also consider keeping a sleep diary, so your doctor can see how well youre sleeping and determine if sleep might play a role in your symptoms.
How Does Me/cfs Affect People
ME/CFS affects different people in different ways, some more severely than others. There are four levels of severity of ME/CFS, which give an indication of the level of disability ME/CFS can create:
- mild: 50% reduction in pre-illness activity
- moderate: mostly housebound
- severe: mostly bedridden
- very severe: totally bedridden and need help with basic activities including nutrition and hydration.
The severity of ME/CFS can vary over time. A person living with ME/CFS could be at one level of severity now, then their disease could either improve or deteriorate over time. For some patients, their disease can worsen significantly with no known cause. Other patients have a fluctuating illness where they have better and worse periods, which last for months or years. It is unclear why this happens.
For most people, ME/CFS is a lifelong disease. Full recovery is rare and estimated at less than 10%. For some people with ME/CFS, as time passes and their disease improves, they will find they can do more, but it is a slow and gradual process. However, this is not the case for everyone. Some people find their disease worsens over time, others may remain somewhat stable. With support and pacing, people can often improve their quality of life.
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Chronic Fatigue Syndrome : Causes Symptoms And Treatment
This article looks at the definition of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome , its risk factors and symptoms thereof. It highlights a huge gap in as far as treating CFS condition is concerned. However, until the right treatment is found, we looked at the possible symptomatic treatment methods that patient can choose from, with the help of their doctors.
There is also a section that looks at children living with Chronic fatigue syndrome as it is of interest to know the symptoms and help the parents/ guardians detect CFS early enough to treat it. Literature shows that children have a better chance of getting cured from chronic fatigue syndrome, which means early detection put these children at a higher chance of getting healed.
Moreover, there are some modified treatment and most of these are experimental. More literature must be released highlighting the safety of these drugs and also report on their efficacies.
Contents
Diagnostic Criteria For Me/cfs Using The National Academy Of Medicine Clinical Criteria
For a diagnosis of ME/CFS, the person must have the following three symptoms:
Diagnosis also requires at least one of the following two symptoms:
It is important to note that these are not the only symptoms of ME/CFS, just the minimum needed to meet the diagnostic criteria.
While diagnosis requires that a person has had symptoms continually for six months, early intervention with pacing and rest can help reduce symptoms, improve quality of life and reduce the risk of exacerbating the disease. Research suggests that patients who are able to pace their activity and not push themselves tend to do better in the long term. Pacing and rest can start even prior to an official diagnosis.
While there is currently no cure and no evidence-based treatments, it is important to find a doctor who is not only sympathetic to ME/CFS, but can work with you to help manage your symptoms.
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