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The core symptoms include excessive fatigue, general pain, mental fogginess, and often gastro-intestinal problems. Many other symptoms will also be present, however they will typically be different among different patients. These include: fatigue following stressful activities; headaches; sore throat; sleep disorder; abnormal temperature; and others.
Four or more of the following symptoms must have been present for longer than six months:
short-term memory loss or a severe inability to concentrate
sore throat
swollen lymph nodes in the neck or armpits
muscle pain
pain in a number of joints without redness or swelling
intense or changing patterns of headaches
unrefreshing sleep
after any exertion, weariness that lasts for more than a day
The fatigue must be severe and not the result of overwork or exercise, and the fatigue must
substantially impair a person's ability to function normally.
Exercise will make the symptoms, especially the fatigue, more acute.
The fatigue must be a new--not lifelong--condition with a definite time of onset. For me, I literally came
down with the debilitating fatigue and all the flu-like symptoms overnight. Only you don't get better after a few days. For me I felt as if it was the worst flu I could ever imagine having. For most people
though they say that it's usually no worse than any other flu. In one study 20% reported chronic
fatigue following a flu.
The symptoms must persist ~ hence the term "chronic".
The degree of severity can differ widely among patients, and will also vary over time for the same patient. Severity can vary between getting unusually fatigued following stressful events, to being totally bedridden and completely disabled. The symptoms will tend to wax and wane over time. This variation, in addition to the fact that the cause of the disease is not yet known, makes this illness difficult to diagnose."
Who Gets Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?
The age range typically ranges from 20 to 50 years old.
Well-educated Caucasians are more apt to get it ~ but some have speculated that this could simply be because this group of people may be more likely to seek professional help and be insured and more educated about chronic fatigue syndrome.
There is no test to determine if you have chronic fatigue syndrome. There is no known cause for CFS. For a diagnosis to be made, a battery of tests must be performed as its a process of elimination to determine the causes,as many other illnesses can have similar symptoms, such as multiple sclerosis and lupus. I was tested for many things even though I fit all the criteria for having chronic fatigue syndrome. That's how I found out that I have Hepatitis C in addition to CFS. CFS has been clinically linked to Hepatitis C.
Symptoms of Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia affects three to six million Americans and some experts believe it is simply another variant of chronic fatigue syndrome. The majority are women between twenty-five and forty-five years old.
Prolonged fatigue and widespread muscle aches and pains
Recurrent sore throat
Headache
Low-grade fever
Swollen Lymph Nodes
Insomnia or unrestful sleep
Depression
Another characteristic of fibromyalgia is having 10 distinct tender points, that when touched
firmly, causes deep muscle tenderness. These points include ~ inside of the knee, top of the shoulder
blade, side of the neck and outside of upper buttocks and hip joints. Some people who have CFS
also have these tender pressure points. Just like CFS, the cause of Fibromyalgia (FMS) is unknown.
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For More Information on CFS and FMS Visit these Links:
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia Information Exchange
The CFIDS Association of America
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