By DR. PAUL DONOHUE

Chronic fatigue syndrome, CFS, is an elusive illness without a specific test (no blood test, no X-ray, no scan) that proves a person has the illness. It’s also an illness whose cause hasn’t been resolved. It’s defined as debilitating fatigue lasting six or more months. One important aspect of the diagnosis is excluding all other illnesses known to cause fatigue. The number of those illnesses is legion.

Depression, anxiety, anemia, blood pressure medicines, an underactive thyroid gland, adrenal gland insufficiency, pituitary gland problems, kidney failure, liver failure, hidden cancers, hidden infections such as tuberculosis, congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and sleep apnea are only a few fatigue-causing conditions.

If those illnesses are excluded and the patient has fatigue plus a few other symptoms, then the diagnosis of chronic fatigue rests on solid ground. Those other signs and symptoms include low-grade fever, sore throat, painful neck and underarm lymph nodes, muscle weakness, muscle pain, an increased degree of fatigue after slight exertion, joint pain and disturbed sleep. Impaired memory and difficulty concentrating are two other signs. A person need not have all these signs, but having a few suggests CFS.

Chronic fatigue syndrome shares many symptoms with another elusive illness, fibromyalgia. CFS mostly occurs between the ages of 20 and 50, and more females than males suffer from it.

Things can be done for it. Antidepressant medication, taken for its ability to induce sleep, can restore normal sleep patterns. Graded exercise is helpful. Cognitive behavior therapy has lessened the grips of CFS for some. It’s therapy that tries to discover any underlying thought patterns that drain energy. The “National Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia Association” can provide you with other information.

Source :    herald-review.com