Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is the new disease of the 21st century and it certainly is not about being able to sleep or feeling very tired only. If fatigue is following you everywhere and it has become a part of your life, if your overall energy levels have dropped for at least three months, it is time you take a closer look at your life and your health.

 

Although fatigue is commonly observed in many illnesses, chronic fatigue syndrome- CFS is not so common. Your quality of life will be significantly diminished in case of CFS.

CFS is about feeling frequently and chronically tired– exhausted, sluggish, unhappy, forgetful, confused, irritable, unrefreshed when you wake up from sleep, reluctant to do anything, having joint and muscle pains and weaknesses, digestive problems, increased sensitivity to sounds, light and even smells, sore throat and lymph nodes under the arms or in the neck, mild fever and headache, not being able to concentrate. And this feeling of extreme tiredness does not go away just by resting.

Excessive fatigue syndrome is observed more often in women than in men, less common in children and interestingly enough more often in people with high socioeconomic background. It can occur at any time especially with certain changes in your life, getting old, problems at work, heavy work-load, job dis-satisfactions, low self-esteem, stress induced imbalances in your body, depression, inflammation in the nervous system, hormonal imbalances, endocrine diseases, liver and kidney diseases, tumors..

..viral infections (human herpesvirus 6, mouse leukemia and Epstein-Barr are some of the suspicious viruses), human herpesvirus 6 and mouse leukemia viruses.- it may well be your body’s way of fighting with bacteria and viruses- you feel tired and you are not able to get out of bed easily. Sexual problems and not being able to get and maintain an erection is more often observed in patients that suffer from CFS.

The best thing you can do with your chronic fatigue syndrome is to try and get help to relieve its symptoms as there is currently no cure. You may start with brain MRI and white blood cell count and other tests to detect any diseases or internal problems.

You don’t have to limit yourself to what doctors may tell you to do. Be yourself, pamper yourself, find ways to relax and meditate on your own way, try and do things that you enjoy, exercise, go for walks, manage your time properly, don’t do too much if you’re feeling tired, drink lots of water, stay away from alcohol, try vitamin and mineral supplements…

 

…change the type of foods you eat- go for healthy and nutritious foods (nuts and seeds, fruits and vegetables, fish, whole grains, legumes, onions and garlic to help you protect from cold and flu and support your immune system and anything that is good for you and will give you balanced energy), take time off and go on holidays, try hypnosis, massage, breathing techniques, meditation or yoga, if not able to cope with everyday life perhaps use antidepressants prescribed by a psychiatrist.

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