Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Chronic fatigue syndrome is a debilitating disease that is thought to affect between 100,000 to 250,000 people in the United States alone. It is more prevalent in women than men and seems most often to occur between the ages of twenty-five and fifty. It is thought to be an auto immune disorder of some type but it is not really known what causes the disorder.
A definitive test to diagnose chronic fatigue syndrome does not exist. Diagnosis is made on history, physical exam and an extensive work-up ruling out other disorders as the symptoms are similar to many viral and other such illnesses. Many physicians doubt the disorder exist and feel a psychosomatic and hypochondriac component is involved in the patient’s symptoms. Malingering is sometimes believed to be present by practitioners and stigma can result. However, the disorder is recognized by the Center for Disease Control. Some theories as to the cause of the disorder include mold allergies, food intolerance, antibiotic abuse, pesticides and pollutants in water and food sources, and life style stressors. Why some people suffer from the disorder and others in the same circumstances do not is felt to somehow be related to the immune systems function. Some patients suffer from red blood cell abnormalities and others are felt to possibly suffer from a chronic enterovirus of some type. Parasites are also being considered by researchers as a possible cause as well as a possible disorder of the blood sugar causing hypoglycemia.
Symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Disorder include fatigue not relieved by rest, muscle pain, insomnia, impaired memory, headaches, sore throat, and tender lymph nodes swelling of joints, fever, confusion and depression. Other less common symptoms include bloating, nausea, diarrhea, weight loss night sweats, visual disturbances, chills cough and dizziness. In order to be diagnosed with the disorder you must have at least four of the symptoms listed for a period of at least six months. The symptoms can vary from patient to patient making diagnosis even more difficult.
There is no standard treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome and treatment of chronic fatigue is aimed at treating the symptoms of the disorder. Conventional therapy is often of limited help and suffers often seek out alternative treatments for chronic fatigue such as herbal preparations and homeopathic treatment. Ginseng and green tree extract have been used with some success to treat symptoms of chronic fatigue. Vitamin and supplements have also been used to support health. The mainstay of allopathic treatment is rehabilitative and includes physical therapy to build strength if the patient can tolerate it, cognitive therapy to help patients cope with the illness and medications to treat the many symptoms of the disorder such as anti-emetics for nausea and anti-inflammatory for pain relief. No chronic fatigue cure is known and the goal is to improve the symptoms.
Chronic fatigue syndrome can be an extremely debilitating disorder with no definitive diagnostic test or treatments at this time.
Sources:
<http://www.nsnet.org/idacan/pain.html>
<http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/chronicfatiguesyndrome.html>
<http://www.healingwithnutrition.com/cdisease/chronicfatigue/chronicfatigue.html>
This article is informational and not medical advice. Always follow up with your doctor for questions regarding your health care.
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