Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) awareness
day and Florence Nightingale's birthday fall on May 12. The day commemorates
victory of Nightingale from pain, fatigue and CFS symptoms to attain many
remarkable accomplishments.
What
is CFS?
Presence of any of the following symptoms
can suggest CFS:
ü You feel fatigued after climbing just 10
stairs of your office?
ü You don’t feel refreshed after a long
sleep or you don’t get sleep at all.
ü You forget things easily and when comes
to concentration, you can’t have one task finished in time.
ü You have a sore throat almost every hour
of the day.
ü You have exhaustion but
you can’t describe it.
ü In the refreshing
morning of a beautiful day, you feel so tired as if you just ran a marathon.
Myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) or CFS or "systemic
exertion intolerance disease," includes debilitating fatigue that is
constant or recurring. CFS is an unbearable, underserved and
under-diagnosed disorder characterized by extreme fatigue. This type of fatigue
is not improved by getting rest. It may be made worse by physical or mental
activity and can limit your ability to complete ordinary daily activities. CFS
can affect multiple systems in the body causing muscle pain or weakness,
cognitive dysfunction (brain fog), and insomnia (the inability to sleep). More than 17
million people worldwide suffer from this disease.
What causes CFS?
Despite substantial
research, the cause of chronic fatigue syndrome remains unknown. It could be
genetic, due to an environmental trigger or your lifestyle, your long working
hours, exposure to microbes, toxins, and other physical and emotional factors.
It may be triggered by stress, various illnesses or other medical
conditions. So it could be anything behind this dreadful disease.
- Feeling extremely exhausted
- Not feeling refreshed even after sleeping
- Problems with concentration, attention and memory
- Feeling dizzy or faint when sitting up or standing (due
to a drop in blood pressure)
- Muscle pain or aches
- Tender lymph nodes in the neck or under the arm
- Sore throat that is constant or goes away and comes
back often
Less-common
symptoms of ME/CFS include:
- Visual problems (blurring, sensitivity to light, eye
pain)
- Psychological symptoms (irritability, mood swings,
panic attacks, anxiety)
- Chills and night sweats
- Low grade fever or low body temperature
- Irritable bowel
- Allergies and sensitivities to foods, odors, chemicals,
medications, and sound
- Numbness, tingling, or burning sensations in the face, hands, or feet
Sadly
there is no cure or FDA-approved treatments for ME/CFS. But, there are few
things you, your family members and your doctor can do to help ease your
symptoms.
Graded
exercise therapy (GET)
GET is nothing but increasing your
physical activities according to your CFS symptoms and closely monitored by a physiotherapist
or occupational therapist who is used to treating people with CFS/ME. GET can improve symptoms for some people.
However, some people report that they do not find it beneficial.
Cognitive
behavioral therapy (CBT)
CBT is based on the idea that your mind
can treat your body which means that a certain way of thought process can heal
your CFS. It aims to change any harmful
behaviors which can fuel certain health problems. It could be anything from
physical activity, daily routine management, thinking positively, having a sleep
routine, goal setting.
·
Talking
about your feelings with a friend or family member can help.
·
Sometimes
it also helps to talk with people who are going through the same thing.
·
Adjust
your schedule to take advantage of times when you have more energy and feel
less tired.
·
Keep
a diary for a week or so. Write down the times of day when you have energy and
when you are tired. If there is a pattern to how your energy level changes
during the day, try to plan your work, school, or other activities around that
pattern.
·
Do
what you can to take charge of your fatigue level. Try not to do too much when
you have more energy. If you do too much, you may become overtired. And it may
take several days for you to recover.
·
Improve
your sleep habits.
·
Sleep
problems may add to your fatigue and other symptoms.
·
Go
to bed only when you are sleepy. Get up at the same time every day, whether or
not you feel rested.
·
If
you lie awake for longer than 15 minutes, get up, leave the bedroom, and do
something quiet until you feel sleepy again.
·
Avoid
alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco well before bed.
·
Get
light, gentle exercise regularly.
·
Eat
a balanced diet. Include plenty of fruits, vegetables, grains, cereals,
legumes, poultry, fish, lean meats, and low-fat dairy products.
Please keep in mind that CFS can lead to many
complex medical conditions like depression and social isolation. You will also
have some lifestyle restrictions because of your chronic fatigue. You might lose
your career or not be able to spend as much time with family and friends as you
would like. If you are employed, your doctor will be able to advise you about
whether you should take time off work. Please don’t ignore symptoms
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