Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) or “fatigue” (French for “weakness or fatigue”) has become a hot topic of discussion lately. This is likely due to the fact that our urbanized and technocratic lifestyle, with its daily rush and constant stress, undoubtedly contributes to neuroticism.
We're all familiar with the feeling of “accumulated fatigue” after a stressful work week or the emotional and physical exhaustion at the end of the working year, in anticipation of vacation. However, CFS is somewhat different from normal, physiological fatigue.
Not all doctors recognize this syndrome as a distinct disorder. This is true, as its cause remains unclear. It has been noted that it most often occurs in young, energetic, goal-oriented individuals concerned with building their businesses or careers.
However, not all workaholics suffer from it. There is a hypothesis that the syndrome has a viral origin, as antibodies to the Epstein-Barr virus are often found in the blood of CFS patients.
It's possible that the presence of a latent viral infection contributes to more rapid exhaustion under intense emotional and physical stress. Another possible cause of CFS is depression.
It is known that 50% of patients with CFS exhibit signs of depression. On the other hand, so-called masked, somatic, or opaque depressions encompass virtually all manifestations of chronic fatigue.
According to the “depressive” theory, CFS is a variant of depressive disorder. However, the fact that not only antidepressants but also anti-inflammatory drugs have proven effective in treating chronic fatigue suggests, rather, that the syndrome has a complex origin—both viral and psychological, emphasizes EURODOCTOR.
Meanwhile, it is important to distinguish chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) from simple fatigue, which is not a disease, but merely a natural reaction of the body to overwork, a signal that it desperately needs rest.
But CFS is an unprovoked, severe, exhausting general fatigue that does not go away after rest and prevents a person from living their usual life.
CFS cleverly disguises itself as other illnesses, making it quite difficult to recognize, reports the Medical Information Network. What are the signs of chronic fatigue syndrome? First, it's a constant feeling of lethargy and weakness that doesn't subside after a night's sleep and adequate rest.
These symptoms are essentially unrelated to the intensity of physical or emotional stress. You constantly feel exhausted, wanting to sit or lie down. Any stress that previously went unnoticed—for example, homework or socializing with friends at a party—quickly exhausts you, causing irritation and a desire for solitude.
Due to constant weakness, unwillingness to do anything and complaints about weakness, such people can give others the impression of being lazy, “slackers” or “malingerers”, since there seem to be no objective reasons for such behavior.
This is especially true if a young and physically fit person complains of lethargy and rapid fatigue with little work. Another important manifestation of chronic fatigue syndrome is muscle and joint pain. This pain can be mild, aching, sometimes intensifying, sometimes resolving without apparent cause.
Their presence leads many doctors to classify chronic fatigue syndrome as a fibromyalgia—an immune or hereditary disorder of the muscles and fascia. Body temperature is usually normal; muscles are not hot or tense. Along with muscle pain, headaches and eye discomfort are common.
One of the most common complaints people seek medical attention for is fatigue, which goes by various names: weakness, tiredness, lethargy, and lack of energy. When ordinary activities exhaust you, you suffer from fatigue, and the causes can be very varied, according to the INOY NOY website.
The results of a study conducted by About.com/health on chronic fatigue syndrome in four major US cities were published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The study revealed patterns in the prevalence of the condition. Women, who are naturally more emotional and suggestible, suffer from it two to three times more often than men.
Chronic fatigue syndrome primarily affects working-age people over 30. Almost two-thirds of them are well-educated and come from high-income families, with those most frequently exposed to stress at work being at risk.
Many of those affected are overly demanding of themselves. Mental stress is more exhausting than physical stress. The brain accounts for 2-2.5% of body weight and consumes approximately 20% of the body's energy. The only institute studying this problem was established in the United States.
According to his data, the number of people suffering from the syndrome in the United States has reached 1.5 million—0.6% of the population. It is expected that at least 1.5% of the world's population will be affected in the future. Meanwhile, researchers are grappling with the question of how to treat fading syndrome, notes Excellent Health.
To treat chronic fatigue syndrome, doctors recommend various medical therapies, complementary and alternative medicine, the use of approved (non-doping) pharmaceuticals, and specialized nutritional products (foods with increased biological value, or HFV). These are extremely beneficial, primarily:
1. Vitamins
2. Hepatoprotectors
3. Immunomodulators
4. Adaptogens
Reference: Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a very common pathology of an unspecified nature, which is possibly associated with the peculiarities of life in large settlements, the type of life in developed countries and poor sanitary and environmental conditions, viral infections, as well as high emotional and mental stress on a person, which lead to periodic apathy, depression, causeless bouts of anger, aggression with partial amnesia, etc.
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The disease CFS received its name after an epidemic in the state of Nevada (USA) in 1984. Dr. Paul Cheney, who practiced in the small town of Incline Village, located on the shores of Lake Tahoe, recorded more than 200 cases of this disease.
Patients experienced depression, mood swings, and muscle weakness. They were found to have the Epstein-Barr virus or antibodies to it and other viruses related to the herpes virus. Whether the viral infection or something else, such as poor environmental conditions, was the cause of the illness remained unclear.
In the United States, CFS affects approximately 10 people per 100,000 people, according to Wikipedia. In Australia, the incidence rate was higher in 1990: 37 people per 100,000 people. Women aged 25 to 45 are more susceptible to CFS.