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What Is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

It is a complex illness involving debilitating fatigue along with other symptoms. The fatigue is severe enough to interfere with daily activities and is not relieved by bed rest.

Although a standard treatment has yet to be developed, many people improve through individualized exercise and stress management programs. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome can now be diagnosed by looking for a pattern of specific symptoms -- physical and brain-related. But the causes of the illness are still a mystery. Possible culprits include a faulty immune system, nutritional deficiency, or a viral infection that somehow triggers CFS. Scientists are also exploring a possible connection to sleep disorders, anemia, low blood pressure, or other metabolic abnormalities.

SYMPTONS: Intense Fatigue: What makes CFS different from the normal sluggish feeling now and then is that the fatigue is overwhelming and lasts for at least 6 months. It may get worse after physical or mental exertion, and a full night's sleep provides no relief. The fatigue is often accompanied by other troubling symptoms, such as chronic pain and Recurring Pain: Many people with CFS develop recurring pain, including headaches, sore throat, muscle pain, and joint pain.

The joints may hurt without showing signs of redness or swelling. The cause of these symptoms is not well understood yet. Beyond fatigue and pain, people with CFS may experience: Memory problems, Trouble concentrating, sleep disturbances and Weakness or dizziness. Women are four times more likely than men to develop the illness. Although people of any age can get CFS, it occurs most frequently in people in their 40s and 50s.

There may also be a genetic component, but there is no evidence that CFS is contagious. It is very rare in children and only slightly more common in teenagers. The good news is young people with CFS are more likely to improve than older patients. Diagnosing CFS: There are no blood tests or brain scans for CFS, but your health care team may run tests to rule out other conditions. CFS is diagnosed when you have: 

• Severe fatigue for at least 6 months not explained by other conditions. 

• And at least four of these symptoms: o Headaches o Memory or concentration trouble o Tender neck or underarm lymph nodes o Muscle pain o Sore throat o Multi-joint pain without swelling or redness, Unrefreshing sleep or Exhaustion after physical or mental activity.

                                                  By...Belinda Yeboah