Cure : Essential Oils For Fatigue
If we are talking about natural remedies, it is almost necessary that we talk about essential oils. Essential oils are widely used for treating various health issues including fatigue. These oils house several beneficial and medicinal properties that will boost your energy level and make you feel more energized.
Other Lifestyle Changes To Manage Me/cfs
Other ways to manage ME/CFS include:
- equipment â some people may need a blue badge for parking, a wheelchair, a stairlift, or other adaptations for their home
- changes in your place of work or study â when you’re ready and well enough to return to work or studies, your doctor should be able to advise you on changes that could ease your return
There’s limited or no evidence to recommend:
- resting completely â there’s no evidence this helps
- complementary medicine â there is not enough evidence that it’s helpful for ME/CFS
You should not take up vigorous unsupervised exercise such as going to the gym or for a run as this may make your symptoms worse.
Seek The Correct Diagnosis
An astounding 84 to 91 percent of people with CFS have yet to receive a correct diagnosis, according to a February 2015 paper by the Committee on the Diagnostic Criteria for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
“Most often, if doctors do not know what is wrong with a patient, they consider it to be depression or anxiety, which implies to family members that this is not a real illness,” notes Dr. Teitelbaum. “As a result, the insurance companies use that as an excuse not to pay your disability benefits or cover your health insurance costs.”
In addition, it’s helpful for your treatment to get a diagnosis from a physician. If you suspect you have CFS but haven’t gotten a diagnosis, look for a doctor who specializes in the condition.
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Concluding Remarks And Future Directions
This review suggests that the beneficial effects of nutritional supplements are not random, but that their action is due to the removal of one of the causes of the CFS/ME. There is evidence that supplements may benefit CFS/ME patients therefore, nutritional supplements should be recommended, at least in CFS/ME patients with a biochemically proven deficiency. Studies investigating nutritional interventions in CFS/ME remain very limited most studies have had small sample sizes, and lacked long term followup . Despite the relative consistency in case definition, the studies differed with regard to inclusion and exclusion criteria and reporting participants’ sociodemographic characteristics and clinical features . This heterogeneity in study design makes the application of the findings to the clinical setting more difficult. Therefore, longerterm RCTs in homogeneous populations that use more specific case criteria are now warranted.
In agreement with several previous studies, pacing was consistently shown to be the most helpful treatment, CBT was useful for some patients but not all for all graded training may cause the condition to worsen. However, the results must be interpreted with care, as the participants are not a representative sample.
Diagnosis And Treatment For Me/cfs
Currently, there is no single test to diagnose ME/CFS. Doctors make a diagnosis by excluding all other illnesses that might be causing symptoms and following accepted diagnostic criteria. The persons results from routine medical tests will often be normal, but additional tests may show abnormalities.
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How I Cured My Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
The journey to curing chronic fatigue syndrome as well as many other illnesses is not easy at all.
I researched all over the places, and on books alone, read over one thousand. By practicing the research results on my own, my health was improving day by day. I had more energy, my headaches, bodily pain, allergies, cervical tumor, breast cancer, and many illnesses were all getting better.
While I was still working on my health problems, I got Lyme disease from a tick bite, as well as autoimmune disorders. The disease, as well as taking antibiotics and other medications for four weeks as prescribed by doctors, worsened my fatigue and weakened my body. Brain fog and weak legs made it hard for me to drive a car, or even walk unassisted!
It seemed that I needed to start all over again to rebuild my strength and my health.
I needed to:
- Make sure my body could take in energy from my surroundings. For example, I rebuilt my severely damaged digestive system for getting energy from foods.
- Make uses of every opportunity to obtain as much energy as possible from all energy sources surround me.
- Make sure not to waste any energy in my everyday activities through unnecessary overuses of my energy.
I also needed to:
If I didnt do it carefully and do it right, my health could be stuck in the downward spiral of chaos again, just as many people did and still do. I developed a complete system to help myself get back to health, and now to help others do the same.
Dangers Of Unregulated Vitamins And Supplements
The FDA does not review or approve dietary supplements based on their safety and effectiveness. This means that many supplements and herbal remedies sold in stores can contain ingredients that may interact with other medications youre taking, or the dosages may be out of FDA-regulated guidelines.
Its best to run any dietary supplements by your doctor first. Not all vitamins, supplements, and herbs are dangerous , but everyones personal health issues are unique. Talk to your doctor if you have other medically diagnosed conditions, or are currently taking prescription medication.
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Children Young People And Me/cfs
ME/CFS can affect people of all ages, including the very young. Young people with ME/CFS, especially children under the age of ten, might have trouble knowing or articulating that something is wrong. They may not realise that their loss of stamina, or other symptoms they are experiencing, are not normal. Alternatively, they may not have the words to describe what they are feeling.
For both younger children and teenagers, schooling can be affected but ME/CFS is not school refusal. While school refusal can often be accompanied by physical complaints , and these complaints may tend to disappear when the young person stays home, the pattern is different with ME/CFS. In a young person with ME/CFS, some symptoms never ease and symptom exacerbation is triggered by activity. In ME/CFS, symptoms are likely to be worse after school attendance, and can reduce with pacing and rest, which includes time away from school or during holidays.
Some young people with ME/CFS can continue to attend school, and others may be too unwell for regular classroom attendance. Parents, healthcare providers, schools and the child or teenager need to work together to come up with a plan for the young persons continued education. This plan needs to take into account the energy limits of ME/CFS. Being creative and flexible is key and might include things like fewer subjects or school from home.
Diagnosis Of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
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Laboratory tests to exclude other causes of symptoms
At least one of the following manifestations is also required:
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Difficulty thinking
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Feeling of light-headedness or dizziness when standing up that is relieved by lying down
The frequency and severity of the symptoms should be assessed by a doctor. If people do not have these symptoms at least half of the time with moderate, substantial, or severe intensity, doctors reconsider the diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome .
Criteria for diagnosis are important mainly because they help doctors communicate clearly with each other when they study a problem. However, when treating a specific individual, doctors focus more on that person’s symptoms rather than the criteria.
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What To Expect At Your Provider’s Office
There is no laboratory test for chronic fatigue syndrome. But your health care provider may use tests to rule out other illnesses. Your provider will go over your symptoms, check your medical history, and do a physical examination.
If you have CFS, your provider may prescribe drugs to treat your symptoms, or suggest herbs, vitamins, or dietary changes to help you. Get plenty of rest, exercise regularly, and learn to pace yourself. Often this combination of treatments will help you get better.
If the usual treatments do not work, your provider may check for other conditions that can cause symptoms similar to those of CFS.
Immune Disturbance Is A Clue Not An Answer
With some cytokines at lower levels and a few at higher levels, the study results indicate a markedly disturbed immune signature akin to patterns seen in cases of autoimmunity, the study authors concluded.
But a disturbed immune processes isnt specific enough to pinpoint the cause of the condition. It could be a virus or an allergy that sends the immune system off course, according to Hornig.
Theres still work to be done, in other words.
What we aim to do with this research is to fill up the empty toolkits of clinicians, Hornig said. There are no clear diagnostic tests, and there are no treatments in those toolkits either. We want to get some traction so that there isnt a disincentive for physicians to diagnose this illness.
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My Extreme Burnout Experience
For the first three years of starting up my business, I barely took a day off. And I really mean barely. Even saying barely feels generous.
My best guess is that within my first three years of writing online, I may have had a total of ten days where I actually did zero work.
First year of my business. Here I am working on my laptop while on vacation.
And while I feel so grateful to have the kind of job where I wouldnt want to take many days off from work, and a job where the time flexibility is so great that I am able to chip away at it on a daily basis, ultimately I am not a robot. Eventually my plans of constant productivity came crashing down around me.
Throughout the majority of my third year in business I had a sense of feeling tired but also wired. It felt like my body wanted to take a ten hour sleep but I couldnt because I had just consumed six cups of coffee. Which was strange because I dont drink tea, coffee, or caffeine in any form. Nevertheless, this underlying message from my cells screaming out for rest went unheeded.
Then, one day, my body demanded that I pay attention
It was a Wednesday morning that I woke up from an unusually long sleep still feeling exhausted.
My body felt heavy so heavy that I felt like I had woken up three times heavier than I had been when I went to sleep.
My brain felt foggy and exhausted. Stringing a complete sentence together was challenging.
The idea of getting out of bed to make myself breakfast felt impossible.
Alternative Or Complementary Medicine
Since there is no standard treatment for CFS/ME, people often consider alternatives to traditional medicine or use non-traditional treatments to complement their other medications. Commonly used alternative and complementary treatments include:
- Mind-body treatments, like qigong, tai chi, and meditation
- Trigger point therapy, called myofascial release
- Chiropractic treatments
Complementary therapies have received mixed results when scientifically studied. Before beginning an alternative or complementary treatment, talk with your doctor to ensure that you arent trying something potentially dangerous.
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It Feels Like That Scene In The Princess Bride
Have you seen The Princess Bride movie? In this classic 1987 film, one of the villainous characters, Count Rugen, invented a torture device called The Machine to suck the life out of a human year by year.
When my CFS symptoms are bad, I feel like Ive been strapped to that torture device with Count Rugen laughing as he turns the dial higher and higher. Upon being removed from the Machine, the hero of the movie, Wesley, can barely move or function. Similarly, it also takes me everything I have in order to do anything beyond lay completely still.
Pop-culture references and analogies have proven to be a very effective way of explaining my symptoms to those close to me. They give a frame of reference to my symptoms, making them relatable and less foreign. The element of humor in references such as these also helps ease some of the tension often present when talking about illness and disability with those who dont experience it themselves.
Mental Health Support And Me/cfs
ME/CFS is not a psychological disorder. However, living with a chronic illness is challenging, especially one that involves missing out on normal life activities, and this may lead to mental health problems like anxiety or depression.
Speaking with a qualified mental health professional who understands the challenges of living with ME/CFS can be very helpful. They can help with things such as coping with changes to schooling, employment or social activities, and symptoms such as difficulty with sleep or pain. With the availability of Medicare rebates for telehealth, many mental health practitioners now offer remote consultations which makes healthcare more accessible for those who are housebound or bedbound with ME/CFS.
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Low On Energy It May Not Be Depression
Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Depression is a common cause of fatigue, so you might be wondering whether your fatigue is a result of depression. But just because youâre tired all the time doesnât necessarily mean that youâre depressed.
The fact is there are many underlying conditions that could be responsible for feeling tired all the time. From mood disorders to issues affecting your physical health like chronic fatigue syndrome, the following psychiatric and medical conditions are some of the most common ailments associated with fatigue.
But first, itâs important to note that many of these conditions share symptoms similar to depression, so weâll start there. By understanding the distinctions between depression and other factors that cause fatigue, you can seek out the right treatment and start to feel like your energetic self again.
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Drug And Alternative Therapies
Specific chronic fatigue syndrome symptoms such as pain, depression, and poor sleep are treated.
Many different drugs and alternative therapies have been tried to relieve the chronic fatigue itself. Although many treatments, such as antidepressants and corticosteroids, seem to make a few people feel better, none are clearly effective for all. It can be hard for people and doctors to tell which treatments work because symptoms are different in different people and because symptoms may come and go on their own.
Controlled clinical trials The Science of Medicine Doctors have been treating people for many thousands of years. The earliest written description of medical treatment is from ancient Egypt and is over 3,500 years old. Even before that, healers… read more , which compare the benefits of a drug to those of a placebo , are the best way to test therapies, and no drug therapy has been shown to be effective for the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome in controlled trials. A number of treatments directed at possible causes, including use of interferons, intravenous injections of immune globulin, and antiviral drugs, have been mostly disappointing and potentially dangerous. Dietary supplements, such as evening primrose oil, fish oil supplements, and high-dose vitamins, are commonly used, but their benefits remain unproved. Other alternative treatments have also been ineffective. Treatments that have no proven benefits are best avoided because they can have side effects.
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Depression Stress And Anxiety
Adjusting to a chronic, debilitating illness sometimes leads to other problems, including depression, stress, and anxiety. Many patients with ME/CFS develop depression during their illness. When present, depression or anxiety should be treated. Although treating depression or anxiety can be helpful, it is not a cure for ME/CFS.
Some people with ME/CFS might benefit from antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications. However, doctors should use caution in prescribing these medications. Some drugs used to treat depression have other effects that might worsen other ME/CFS symptoms and cause side effects. When healthcare providers are concerned about patients psychological condition, they may recommend seeing a mental health professional.
Some people with ME/CFS might benefit from trying techniques like deep breathing and muscle relaxation, massage, and movement therapies . These can reduce stress and anxiety, and promote a sense of well-being.
Identify Treatments Youve Tried
In addition to tracking the symptoms you have experienced, keep a list of treatments you have tried. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides a medications and supplements list you can use to track your medications, their dosage, how well they help, and if you experienced side effects. Write a separate list of other treatments you have tried beyond medications and supplements, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, exercise, acupuncture, or meditation.
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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.
Symptoms Of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Doctors have narrowed down some of the triggers for chronic fatigue syndrome. Everyone is different, though, and may experience symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome differently, but theCenters for Disease Control and doctors classifychronic fatigue syndrome as having at least four of the following physical symptoms for at least six months:
- Post-exertional malaise
- Unrefreshing sleep
Chronic fatigue syndrome can only be diagnosed when other diseases have been ruled out, but thats the problem: You may experience fatigue as a symptom of other health conditions.
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