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Having chronic fatigue syndrome, or CFS, means more than just getting tired. With the busy lives American women lead, we all get tired from time to time. But, the fatigue with CFS is extreme and overwhelming, and doesn't get better with bed rest. And, it is often made worse with physical or mental activity.
Having chronic fatigue syndrome, or CFS, means more than just getting tired. With the busy lives American women lead, we all get tired from time to time. But, the fatigue with CFS is extreme and overwhelming, and doesn't get better with bed rest. And, it is often made worse with physical or mental activity.
This illness seems to happen all of a sudden - one day you may notice that you are very tired and can't manage your normal activities. Your energy level is lower and you often get tired for no reason. You may also feel weak and have muscle pain, difficulty focusing, or insomnia (not being able to sleep). After you engage in physical activity or exert yourself, you may feel tired for more than 24 hours. The extreme fatigue may then come and go, giving you times when your energy level is normal.
Sometimes, though, the extreme tiredness never stops, leaving you feeling exhausted and depleted all the time. You notice that you can't get done in a day what you normally would have been able to, before having this condition. CFS is diagnosed only when other possible causes of the fatigue are ruled out, and the fatigue has lasted for at least 6 months. There are treatments to help a person cope with CFS, some of which include medication. Sometimes CFS goes away on its own or a person can have long periods of time, even years, without symptoms.
What causes CFS?
No one knows for sure what causes CFS. For more than 100 years, doctors have reported seeing illnesses like CFS. Some causes of CFS offered over the years by health experts include anemia (low iron in the blood); hypoglycemia (low blood sugar); environmental allergies; and candidiasis (yeast infection) in the entire body.
Sometimes CFS develops on its own, for no reason. But, most persons with CFS say that it started after having a cold, bronchitis, hepatitis, or an intestinal virus. It can also follow a bout of infectious mononucleosis (mono), the "kissing disease" that drains the energy of many teenagers and young adults. Some persons with CFS say their illness began after a time of extreme stress, such as the loss of a loved one or undergoing major surgery.
It can be hard to figure out if a person has CFS. This is because many illnesses have extreme fatigue as a symptom and many treatments, such as chemotherapy, can cause extreme fatigue.
What are the signs of CFS?
CFS symptoms either stay with a person or come and go for more than 6 months. Initial symptoms can feel like you have the flu. Besides extreme fatigue and weakness, CFS symptoms include:
*Headaches of a new type, pattern, or intensity
*Tender lymph nodes
*Sore throat
*Muscle pain or aches
*Pain or aches in several joints without swelling or redness
*Not being able to concentrate, focus, or remember
*Feeling tired even if sleeping
*Feeling discomfort or "out-of-sorts" after physical exertion
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