Chronic Fatigue Syndrome – Myth Or Malady?

Copyright 2006 Anne Wolski
It is only in recent years that the medical profession has come
to commonly recognize the condition of chronic fatigue syndrome
but people who are afflicted by the condition have been only too
aware of the debilitating effects for years
There are still many doctors who question the validity of
chronic fatigue syndrome and, among doctors who do believe the
condition exists, there is still fierce debate over whether its
origins are of a physical or psychological nature This lack of
unity in medical circles leads to great confusion among the
public There are still a lot of people who believe that
sufferers of this condition are nothing more than malingerers
For the sufferers of this disease, this creates added stress and
confusion
The sufferers of this condition experience continuous physical
tiredness In fact, one of the first symptoms is an
overwhelming, incapacitating tiredness but this is only one
aspect of the disease This may be accompanied by aching
muscles This often affects the lifestyle of the sufferer so
much that they are unable to work or to take part in social
activities For some, they become totally incapacitated
It is quite common for a normally healthy person who generally
leads an active life, to one day wake up with what they believe
is a case of influenza characterized by a sore throat, swollen
glands, headache and fever He or she is too tired to even get
out of bed Obviously, the first thoughts are that they have the
flu but, when weeks pass without the symptoms going away, it is
a sign of chronic fatigue syndrome
A lot of people who suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome also
experience severe mental tiredness which may be related to
emotional turmoil that arises either from the condition itself
or from the frustration sufferers can feel because of the
physical exhaustion
One of the complications that accompany this disease is that of
serious cognitive problems Processing and retention of
information can become very difficult, creating even more
emotional problems for the sufferer Often, the sufferer finds
it difficult to engage in a conversation as they struggle to
focus on the words or to process those words This problem also
extends to written word as the sufferer may have to read the
same sentence several times in order to process its meaning
Memory loss, particularly short-term memory loss is common among
sufferers of this illness Many describe not being able to
remember people’s names or the names for common things They may
also find it difficult to contribute to a conversation as they
often forget words or what they are actually saying
In the past, many people with chronic fatigue syndrome were
diagnosed as having myalgic encephalomyelitis Encephalomyelitis
is an inflammation of the brain and spinal cord and that is not
a characteristic of chronic fatigue syndrome so the diagnosis
was incorrect Sometimes, chronic fatigue syndrome is referred
to as postviral fatigue syndrome as it often follows viral
infections
The real cause of chronic fatigue syndrome is unknown What is
known is that it generally follows a viral infection or, more
often, a series of infections
It is important for the sufferer to follow a healthy diet in
order for the recovery from this condition It is also important
to look after the health of the mind as well as the body Time
and rest are the only real treatments for chronic fatigue
syndrome

Tags | confusion, emotional, medical, origins, psychological, result, syndrome, thoughts, tiredness, validity