Life
can be tiring. You only have so much stamina to keep you going, and you need to
sleep every night. Even after a hard day, you can go to sleep to wake feeling
refreshed and invigorated the next day. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is a condition
that involves a lack of energy and a feeling of extreme fatigue that
can’t be explained by any underlying medical condition.
The
fatigue may worsen with physical or mental activity, but doesn't improve with
rest. The cause of CFS is unknown although there are many theories ranging from
viral infections to psychological stress. There's no single test to confirm a
diagnosis of CFS. Treatment for CFS focuses on symptom relief. CFS can
seriously impair the life of the afflicted person, and medical help should be
sought if the following symptoms are experienced:
Cognitive Impairment-While some people are smarter than others, most of
us have little difficulty in processing what is going on around us. You can
generally think quick enough to solve minor obstacles that you encounter and
you often do so with little to no effort. For people with CFS, even the
simplest of challenges can become difficult. People with the condition can find
that their ability to think clearly is impaired considerably. They will
struggle to remember things in the short term and they might even forget what
you’re saying before they finish a sentence. It can be noticeable in speech
when they struggle to string together a meaningful sentence.
Difficulty Sleeping-Our internal body clocks are usually quite
effective at sending us to sleep at the right time. Provided you allow yourself
enough time in bed, you should be able to get all the sleep you need. It is not
always that easy, and people with CFS can find sleeping very difficult. For
people with the condition, sleeping can be difficult even if they have been
feeling tired all day long. They may only be able to sleep at certain times in
the day, potentially turning their sleeping cycles upside down. What’s more is
that even if they do manage to get a good night’s sleep, they will still feel
tired from the moment they wake up the next day.
Getting Sick-You tend not to get sick often, but for the most
part you remain free from illness. This is thanks to your immune system that is
in operation all day every day. CFS can weaken the immune system leading to a
decrease in the body’s natural ability to fight off disease. With a weakened
immune system, people with CFS are more likely to fall ill. Colds and flu can
become common to them, and otherwise mild illnesses can become more severe.
There is also a chance of them developing conditions such as lupus. People with
CFS are encouraged to get as much exercise as possible and eat a healthy diet
to bolster their immune systems.
Inability to Stand for Long Periods of Time-You spend much of your time vertically. You will
spend a lot of time walking or even just standing around talking to other
people. While it can get tiring after a while, you can pretty much stay
vertical for as long as you like. For some people, even standing up straight is
not an easy thing to do. One symptom that is fairly common in people with CFS
is a condition known as orthostatic intolerance. The condition manifests itself
as an urge to lie down after standing up straight even for short periods of
time. It is caused by a lack of blood flow to the head meaning the person has
to lie down to allow the brain to get the blood it needs.
Pain-You get aches and
pains occasionally. Quite often it is because you have been sitting in an
awkward position. At other times it can be because of an injury, or maybe even
an illness. These pains usually subside before long, but for people with CFS
such pains can be ever-present. The pain mostly affects muscles and joints and
can range in severity from mild to severe and usually have no apparent cause.
Muscles and joints can also become stiff, and there is little that can be done other
than just waiting it out. The pain will usually linger for weeks, but in some
cases pain may last for months.
Sensitivity to Stimuli-All around us is information regarding our
surroundings. Sounds, sights and smells tell us what is going on, and our brains
take the information you need and turn it into something useful. Sometimes,
though, people can become very sensitive to these stimuli, and things can get
really quite uncomfortable for them. For people with CFS, bright lights, sounds
and even smells can become unbearable. They can be unbearably irritating, even
painful, and can induce vomiting and severe headaches. Quite often, people with
the condition will need to lie down in a quiet, dark room away from other
people until the sensitivity subsides.
Stomach Problems-Many of us have certain foods that you cannot eat
for some reason. It might be that you just don’t like the taste, or it might
give you a bad stomach ache. If you keep clear of those foods, you don’t
usually have a problem. For some people, the range of foods that gives you
problems can be so wide that you struggle to eat anything without adverse side
effects. People with CFS are prone to suffering from stomach pains after eating
certain foods. Symptoms can also include bloating, nausea, rashes and stabbing
pains. They can avoid symptoms by removing certain foods from their diet, and
for many people this means eating a very restricted diet.
Tingling-Our body helps us to sense what
is around us. It can be very effective at alerting us to when you might be in
harm’s way, sending messages to the brain that bring our attention to an area
of the body. Sometimes, people may feel sensations that have no apparent cause.
One symptom of CFS is a tingling or ticklish sensation. It has also been described
as burning or numbness, or pins and needles. The discomfort can range from
mild, to downright agonizing. For some people, the sensation feels like bugs
crawling beneath the skin. The condition is known as paresthesia, and there is
no known cure as of yet.
Vertigo-Our bodies have evolved to
enable us to walk upright without even thinking about it. This involves an
extraordinary sense of balance that enables us to walk, run and even jump
without falling over. Sometimes, this sense of balance can be affected, and
moving becomes far harder than it used to be. For people with CFS, vertigo is
often a problem. This is a condition characterized by dizziness, blurred vision
and a lack of coordination. It can be severe enough to be debilitating.
Weakness-People who don’t exercise are likely to be physically weaker than those
who do. Even those that don’t exercise won’t necessarily feel weak until they
are compared to others. People with CFS will often feel weak and it can be
debilitating. It is a condition known as post-exertional malaise (PEM), and is
often associated with pain. Swollen lymph nodes and a sore throat will also
likely be present. It is often as a result of physical or mental exertion and
can be delayed by days or even weeks in some cases.
“Massage therapy has been shown to relieve
depression, especially in people who have chronic fatigue syndrome; other
studies also suggest benefit for other populations.” (Andrew Weil)
[i]
[i] Sources used:
·
“10 Symptoms of Chronic
Fatigue Syndrome” By James Roberts
·
“Chronic fatigue syndrome” by Mayo Clinic
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