Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Chronic fatigue syndrome is the disorder that keeps you constantly tired causing disruption in daily routine. The major symptom of this disorder is extreme tiredness for at least 6 months, but there are other signs to identify this disease. The conditions may improve for some people only for relapsing within few months. Actually this syndrome is not caused by any underlying medical issues and it is believed to be the reaction of your body due to emotional and physical causes.
Symptoms :
The main symptom of this syndrome is extreme tiredness. You will feel tired all the time of the day and will have problems in getting adequate sleep. Even if you had enough sleep you will wake up next day feeling tired. Some other symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome are difficulty in concentrating, frequent joint pain and Sore Throat.
You will have some relief after taking rest but again the symptoms will be worse after you are involved in any physical or mental activity. The muscle pain and joint pain will typically move from one place to the other. Depression is one of the common sign of this disorder.
Causes :
Exact cause of CFS is unknown. Some experts believe that certain factors can trigger the symptoms. Virus infections can cause chronic fatigue syndrome. Hence a person who has just recovered from viral infection is likely to develop this syndrome. Herpes virus and Epstein Barr virus can become triggering factors. However there is no proof of this theory till now. It can be caused due to impairment of immune system and due to abnormal levels of hormones released by pituitary gland or adrenal glands.
Who are at risk?
Middle aged people, old aged people and obese people are prone to develop chronic fatigue syndrome. Women are found to be more affected with this disorder than men for unknown reasons. People who are overly stressed are also under the risk of developing this disorder. Though there are no complications of CFS still untreated disorder can land you up in depression. It may also cause bad reputation for you at the workplace due to frequent absenteeism.
Diagnoses :
No concrete tests are available for confirming CFS. Your doctor will collect your medical history and gather the symptoms. He will ask you about the sleeping disorders and the quality of sleep you had for the last 3-4 months to rule out any problems like sleep apnea or insomnia. He may order for blood tests to eliminate certain medical issues like diabetes and thyroid problems which can be causing this disorder. Lastly he may refer to any psychologist for finding out if you are having depression or Bipolar Disorder.
Treatment :
No treatment is available for CFS till date but the symptoms can be reduced. You have to be frank with your doctor to recover from chronic fatigue syndrome since it can be due to physical or mental stress.
Medications are prescribed for treating depression if that is the root cause for this disorder. Your doctor will start with low dose of antidepressant medications so that you can get quality sleep. Very often, psychological treatments are given in combination with medications for getting relief from fatigue. A physiotherapist will design suitable exercise pattern for you based on your age and health conditions. You will need to take-up for psychological counseling program to find out what exactly is bothering you.
Home Remedies :
Restrict the intake of coffee or tea and other caffeinated drinks which can affect your sleep. Make sure that you are going to bed at the same time each day to improve sleeping habit. In case you wish, you can take short naps during the daytime, but it should not be more than 30 minutes.
Practice yoga and meditation to reduce stress. Avoid taking heavy foods rich in fat to remain healthy. Alternate methods of treatment like yoga, acupuncture and chiropractor are available to get relief from the symptoms. Finally you can join any support group to share your feelings with others who are in similar line.
Chronic fatigue syndrome is the disorder that keeps you constantly tired causing disruption in daily routine. The major symptom of this disorder is extreme tiredness for at least 6 months, but there are other signs to identify this disease. The conditions may improve for some people only for relapsing within few months. Actually this syndrome is not caused by any underlying medical issues and it is believed to be the reaction of your body due to emotional and physical causes.
Symptoms :
The main symptom of this syndrome is extreme tiredness. You will feel tired all the time of the day and will have problems in getting adequate sleep. Even if you had enough sleep you will wake up next day feeling tired. Some other symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome are difficulty in concentrating, frequent joint pain and Sore Throat.
You will have some relief after taking rest but again the symptoms will be worse after you are involved in any physical or mental activity. The muscle pain and joint pain will typically move from one place to the other. Depression is one of the common sign of this disorder.
Causes :
Exact cause of CFS is unknown. Some experts believe that certain factors can trigger the symptoms. Virus infections can cause chronic fatigue syndrome. Hence a person who has just recovered from viral infection is likely to develop this syndrome. Herpes virus and Epstein Barr virus can become triggering factors. However there is no proof of this theory till now. It can be caused due to impairment of immune system and due to abnormal levels of hormones released by pituitary gland or adrenal glands.
Who are at risk?
Middle aged people, old aged people and obese people are prone to develop chronic fatigue syndrome. Women are found to be more affected with this disorder than men for unknown reasons. People who are overly stressed are also under the risk of developing this disorder. Though there are no complications of CFS still untreated disorder can land you up in depression. It may also cause bad reputation for you at the workplace due to frequent absenteeism.
Diagnoses :
No concrete tests are available for confirming CFS. Your doctor will collect your medical history and gather the symptoms. He will ask you about the sleeping disorders and the quality of sleep you had for the last 3-4 months to rule out any problems like sleep apnea or insomnia. He may order for blood tests to eliminate certain medical issues like diabetes and thyroid problems which can be causing this disorder. Lastly he may refer to any psychologist for finding out if you are having depression or Bipolar Disorder.
Treatment :
No treatment is available for CFS till date but the symptoms can be reduced. You have to be frank with your doctor to recover from chronic fatigue syndrome since it can be due to physical or mental stress.
Medications are prescribed for treating depression if that is the root cause for this disorder. Your doctor will start with low dose of antidepressant medications so that you can get quality sleep. Very often, psychological treatments are given in combination with medications for getting relief from fatigue. A physiotherapist will design suitable exercise pattern for you based on your age and health conditions. You will need to take-up for psychological counseling program to find out what exactly is bothering you.
Home Remedies :
Restrict the intake of coffee or tea and other caffeinated drinks which can affect your sleep. Make sure that you are going to bed at the same time each day to improve sleeping habit. In case you wish, you can take short naps during the daytime, but it should not be more than 30 minutes.
Practice yoga and meditation to reduce stress. Avoid taking heavy foods rich in fat to remain healthy. Alternate methods of treatment like yoga, acupuncture and chiropractor are available to get relief from the symptoms. Finally you can join any support group to share your feelings with others who are in similar line.
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