How Is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Diagnosed
CFS diagnosis depends on two criteria:
A specific treatment for CFS has yet to be proven effective. Vitamin supplements and medicines have some benefit. Many treatments just relieve the symptoms of CFS.
Who Is At Risk For Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Because the cause of CFS is not known, its hard to know what might put someone at risk for getting the condition. However, certain factors are seen more often in people with CFS. These factors include:
- Gender. CFS happens up to 4 times more often in women than in men.
- Age. CFS commonly affects middle-aged people, but people of any age can get it.
What Is Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome is a complex and disabling disease. It has been classified as a neurological disorder by the World Health Organization, though it affects many parts of the body, including the brain and muscles, digestive, immune and cardiac systems.
The term myalgic encephalomyelitis means pain in the muscles, and inflammation in the brain and spinal cord. Scientists are starting to understand some of the biological changes in the bodies of people with ME/CFS, although they have not yet found how to prevent, or cure it.
Research has found that ME/CFS is associated with problems involving:
- The bodys ability to produce energy at a cellular level
- Immune, neurological and hormonal systems
- Blood pressure and heart rate regulation
- Cognition how quickly information is processed
ME/CFS affects men, women and children of all ages, ethnicities, and socioeconomic backgrounds. 75-80% of people with the disease are female. It is estimated that up to 600,000 Victorians may be living with ME/CFS, and as many as 90% are undiagnosed.
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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.
Strength Training Can Help You Lose Weight By Changing Your Metabolic Rate
Strength training can help you lose weight by changing your metabolic rate. Exactly how that happens isn’t fully understood.
Some claim that by building muscle and trimming fat, strength training boosts your resting metabolic rate, helping you burn more calories just sitting still. But according to the American College of Sports Medicine, for most people, this wonât result in much weight loss. Instead, they say the main weight loss benefit is due to its effect on calories burned while doing strength training, or as a direct result, as your body burns calories building muscle.
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What Is Chronic Diarrhea
Diarrhea is loose, runny poop. Weve all probably had it at one time or another. It tends to come out fast, suddenly and urgently, and you may have cramping or spasms in your colon when you go.
If you have food poisoning or the flu, you might have diarrhea for a day or so. It goes away when the original infection does. Chronic diarrhea is persistent diarrhea that continues for more than four weeks.
How common is this condition?
An estimated 1% to 3% of the population has chronic diarrhea. But these estimates may be low, as many people dont seek treatment unless they have other symptoms, such as pain or bleeding.
Is it normal to have diarrhea all day every day?
Chronic and frequent diarrhea is an everyday experience for some people, but under normal circumstances, it shouldnt be. Your colon, where poop is formed, is reacting to something abnormal.
Some people have chronic bowel diseases that cause chronic diarrhea. These diseases may not be curable, but you can treat the symptoms. Other causes are often curable with the right treatment.
What does persistent diarrhea indicate?
Normally, your colon receives liquefied food waste from your small intestine and gradually condenses it into solid poop. But with diarrhea, something impairs this process, leaving you with liquefied poop.
Something is making it hard for your colon to absorb water as it normally would, or making it excrete extra water, or both. It may be a problem with your colon itself or something abnormal inside it.
Can Emotions Cause Fatigue
Are you fearful about the future? Do you worry about your health and who will take care of you? Are you afraid you are no longer needed? Emotional stresses like these can take a toll on your energy. Fatigue can be linked to many conditions, including:
- Stress from financial or personal problems
- Feeling that you no longer have control over your life
Not getting enough sleep can also contribute to fatigue. Regular physical activity can improve your sleep. It may also help reduce feelings of depression and stress while improving your mood and overall well-being. Yoga, meditation, or cognitive behavioral therapy could also help you get more rest. Talk with your doctor if your mental well-being is affecting your sleep or making you tired.
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Can Complementary Or Alternative Medicine Help Manage The Symptoms Of Me/cfs
Some people say that complementary or alternative medicine has helped their ME/CFS symptoms. Keep in mind that many alternative treatments, dietary supplements, and herbal remedies claim to cure ME/CFS, but some might do more harm than good. Talk to your doctor before trying alternative therapies to be sure they’re safe.
How Is Me/cfs Diagnosed
Because many symptoms of ME/CFS are also symptoms of other illnesses or side effects of medicine, your doctor will need to do physical exams and tests to help determine if you have ME/CFS. There are no standard lab tests to diagnose ME/CFS.
If you think you may have ME/CFS, see your doctor. Your doctor may:
- Ask you about your physical and mental health.
- Do a physical exam.
- Order lab tests based on your symptoms, such as urine and blood tests, which will tell your doctor if something other than ME/CFS might be causing your symptoms.
- Order tests that check for problems found in people with ME/CFS.
- Classify you as having ME/CFS if:
- You have the main symptoms of ME/CFS, including extreme fatigue or exhaustion that does not go away and that prevents you from doing the things you want and need to do for you and your family exhaustion that comes after mental or physical exercise sleep problems and pain AND
- You have had the extreme fatigue and other symptoms for 6 months or longer AND
- You and your doctor cannot find another explanation for your symptoms.
The process to make a final diagnosis of ME/CFS can take a long time, so try to be patient. It is usually best to develop a relationship and follow up often with one doctor so that he or she can get to know you and see how you respond to treatment over time.
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How Do You Get Rid Of Chronic Diarrhea
If it doesnt go away with simple diet and medication changes, you need to see a healthcare provider. The provider will thoroughly examine the possible causes of your chronic diarrhea in order to identify the right treatment. Treating the underlying condition may solve your chronic diarrhea, or the condition may not be directly treatable. You may need treatment that targets your chronic diarrhea separately.
Treatment may include:
- Opiate antidiarrheals. These slow down your colonic transit time and increase absorption in your colon. Loperamide, often the first choice, isnt habit-forming and is available over the counter .
- Antibiotics or antiparasitics for infections.
- Fiber supplements, such as psyllium, to add bulk to your poop and slow down its transit.
Eating And Drinking Habits
Diet can affect how tired or energetic a person feels. Maintaining a moderate and well-balanced diet can lead to better health and better sleep.
Here are some tips to try:
- Eat small, frequent meals throughout the day.
- Eat snacks that are low in sugar.
- Avoid highly processed food and follow a healthful diet.
- Consume plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.
- Avoid consuming caffeine in the afternoon and evening.
There are many foods that help beat fatigue.
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As you age, its normal for your vision to progressively worsen. But dont ever ignore visual changes that affect only one eye, the sudden onset of double vision, or the inability to see the center of what youre looking at.
Vision changes that occur suddenly can be signs of a stroke. Theyre particularly alarming if they come with other warning symptoms of stroke, such as numbness on one side of the body, or difficulty speaking or finding the right words. More subtle variations on these symptoms could indicate a transient ischemic attack, commonly called a mini-stroke. Getting them checked out could prevent a larger stroke later, Baechler says.
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What Is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Chronic fatigue syndrome , also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis or ME/CFS, is a condition in which fatigue lasts six months or longer and is not related to other diseases or conditions. People with CFS experience symptoms that make it hard to do daily tasks like dressing or bathing. Along with severe fatigue that doesnt get better with rest, CFS symptoms can include problems with sleep, memory and concentrating, pain, dizziness, sore throat, and tender lymph nodes. Learn more about CFS.
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Fatigue Is Always A Sign Of A Serious Medical Condition
At some point, nearly everyone suffers from fatigue. In most cases, it’s acute fatigue — fatigue that occurs suddenly but lasts less than three months and is usually caused by lifestyle or environmental factors such as physical exertion, stress, lack of sleep, dehydration, or inadequate diet. In most cases, it’s easily treated by addressing the cause: by reducing stress getting more rest, sleep, or better nutrition or hydrating properly.
Chronic fatigue lasts longer — for more than a few months — and it’s more likely to be associated with an underlying medical condition.
What Are The Symptoms Of Me/cfs
The key symptom or feature of ME/CFS is called post-exertional malaise . This means that your symptoms get worse after exercise or mental effort and dont improve after sleep or rest. PEM can be very disabling and can reduce your ability to function during regular daily activities. PEM is also common if you have long COVID.
ME/CFS may start suddenly or gradually over months or years. The level of activity that triggers your PEM will vary from person to person and can depend on how severe your condition is. For example, if your ME/CFS is relatively mild, you may experience PEM after going for a walk or a jog, but if your ME/CFS is severe, just reading a book or brushing your teeth could bring on your PEM. Your PEM may appear immediately after activity or may sometimes be delayed by up to 3 days. It can last for 24 hours or for a few days. A more serious relapse can last for weeks or months.
A common misconception is that people with ME/CFS have ‘chronic fatigue and are just very tired. Persistent and profound fatigue is just one symptom of ME/CFS.
Other common symptoms of ME/CFS, that may also increase with PEM include:
- thinking problems, loss of memory or poor concentration
- gastrointestinal changes such as nausea, constipation or diarrhoea
- sensitivities to light or noise, food, medicines or chemicals
- problems with temperature regulation
Everyone is different, so you might experience only mild symptoms, or you might develop more severe symptoms.
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Holistic Treatment For Chronic Fatigue
Chronic fatigue can be difficult to diagnose since it can be caused due to so many factors. It can be due to a physical or mental health condition, or it can be caused by unhealthy lifestyle choices.
A holistic doctor that utilizes integrative healthcare techniques understands that all systems in the body work synergistically together. When one system does not work properly, it can cause a cascade effect and result in a variety of health issues, including chronic fatigue. Finding the root cause of your tiredness and correcting it can eliminate your ongoing exhaustion and improve energy levels.
Get The Care You Need
Visit your doctor every few months to help track your symptoms and check for any need to change your treatment.
Get specialized care if you need it. For example:
- A rehabilitation specialist can help you treat pain and improve your ability to do your daily tasks.
- A pain management specialist can offer a number of pain treatments.
Sign “release of information” forms so that your doctors can work together as a team.
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What Is The Prognosis
The clinical course of CFS varies considerably among persons who have the disorder. The actual percentage of patients who recover is unknown, and even the definition of what should be considered recovery is subject to debate. Some patients recover to the point where they can resume work and other activities, but continue to experience various or periodic CFS symptoms. Some patients recover completely with time, and some grow progressively worse. CFS follows a cyclical course, alternating between periods of illness and relative well being.
Symptoms Of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Most people who have chronic fatigue syndrome are successful and function at a high level until the disorder begins, usually abruptly, often following a stressful event. The main symptom is fatigue that usually lasts at least 6 months and is severe enough to interfere with daily activities. Severe fatigue is present even on awakening and persists throughout the day. The fatigue often worsens with physical exertion or during periods of psychologic stress. However, physical evidence of muscle weakness or of joint or nerve abnormalities is absent. Extreme fatigue may begin during or after recovery from an illness that resembles a viral infection, with a fever, runny nose, and tender or painful lymph nodes. However, in many people, fatigue begins without any such preceding illness.
Other symptoms that may occur are difficulty concentrating and sleeping, sore throat, headache, joint pains, muscle pains, and abdominal pain. Depression is common, particularly when symptoms are severe or worsening. Symptoms often overlap with those of fibromyalgia Fibromyalgia Fibromyalgia is characterized by poor sleep, fatigue, mental cloudiness, and widespread aching and stiffness in soft tissues, including muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Poor sleep, stress, strains… read more , a possibly related disorder.
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What Can I Do To Cope With Me/cfs
Talking about your feelings with a friend or family member can help. Sometimes it also helps to talk with people who are going through the same thing. Consider joining an ME/CFS support group. See the “ME/CFS Organizations” section at the end of this fact sheet for a list of organizations that offer additional information on ME/CFS and can help you find ME/CFS support groups.
Depression Anxiety And Fatigue
Symptoms: Sadness feeling hopeless, worthless, and helpless fatigue
Sometimes, depression or anxiety is at the root of chronic fatigue. Depression affects twice as many women as men and often runs in families. It commonly begins between the ages of 15 and 30.
Postpartum depression can happen after the birth of a baby. Some people get seasonal affective disorder in the winter, with feelings of fatigue and sadness. Major depression is also one part of bipolar disorder.
With depression, you might be in a depressed mood most of the day. You may have little interest in normal activities. Along with feelings of fatigue, you may eat too much or too little, over- or under-sleep, feel hopeless and worthless, and have other serious symptoms.
- Feeling “on alert” most of the time
- Feeling of impending doom
If you are depressed or have regular symptoms of anxiety, talk to your doctor and get a physical exam. If there is no physical cause for the depression or anxiety, your doctor may talk with you about treatment options, and may refer you to a psychiatrist or psychologist for a psychological evaluation.
Although the specific causes of depression and/or anxiety are unclear, these are highly treatable medical problems. Medication, psychotherapy, or a combination of the two can help relieve symptoms.
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When Should I See A Doctor For Fatigue
If youve been tired for several weeks with no relief, it may be time to call your health care provider. He or she will ask questions about your sleep, daily activities, appetite, and exercise and will likely give you a physical exam and order lab tests.
Your treatment will be based on your history and the results of your exam and lab tests. Your doctor may prescribe medications to target underlying health problems, such as anemia or irregular thyroid activity. He or she may suggest that you eat a well-balanced diet and begin an exercise program.
Rheumatoid Arthritis And Fatigue
Symptoms: Fatigue, morning stiffness, joint pain, inflamed joints
Rheumatoid arthritis , a type of inflammatory arthritis, is another cause of excessive fatigue. Because joint damage can result in disability, early and aggressive treatment is the best approach for rheumatoid arthritis.
Medications that may be used early in mild RA include:
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
- Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs
Other drugs used in more serious forms of RA include the anti-cytokine therapies , as well as shots and other forms of treatment.
Other autoimmune disorders, such as lupus and Sjogren’s disease, may also cause fatigue.
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