CONTACT: Catherine M. Brzozowski
Marketing and Public Relations
215-248-8727
cathy_brzozowski@chs.net
For Immediate Release
By: Nicole Davis, M.D., F.A.A.F.P.
With more than one million American sufferers, chronic fatigue syndrome strikes more people than some of the most common cancers but is significantly harder to diagnose. Chronic fatigue syndrome is marked by unrelenting, pervasive mental and physical exhaustion. People with chronic fatigue syndrome often experience a drastic decline in levels of both activity and stamina.
Characterized by severe fatigue that lasts longer than two weeks and impairs normal activity, chronic fatigue syndrome is often accompanied by frequent urination, sleep problems, muscle pain and swelling of the glands in the neck or armpits which lasts at least two weeks. Because fatigue can be caused by a variety of conditions, there is no single test to diagnose chronic fatigue syndrome. Doctors instead must rule out other diseases with similar symptoms. After other possibilities are ruled out and doctors have determined that the fatigue is persistent, they can diagnose the condition as chronic fatigue syndrome.
Frequent urination and exhaustion are sometimes symptoms of diabetes, so doctors will monitor blood sugar levels to rule it out as a cause of the symptoms. Immune system diseases, including HIV, thyroid diseases, Lyme disease and arthritis also sometimes cause fatigue, so a doctor will often test to rule them out as well.
In general, symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome are the worst at the beginning of the condition and may go away briefly and return. There is no cure for chronic fatigue syndrome. Doctors, however, have discovered that by treating the symptoms, the syndrome may lessen or go away entirely. The degree to which chronic fatigue syndrome affects different people varies. While some people are able to go about their daily activities, many have to reduce their activity levels to retain enough energy for high priority tasks. People most strongly affected may even need help accomplishing basic tasks like getting out of bed or eating.
Though women are four times more likely than men to be diagnosed with the condition, there is no evidence to account for that difference. Some specialists think that the disorder is simply more often reported by women than men. Fatigue syndromes are rare in children but occasionally occur in teenagers, especially those who have recently had mononucleosis or the flu. The illness is most common in people between the ages of 25 and 45.
Doctors and specialists are still speculating as to the cause of chronic fatigue syndrome. Some theories point to a viral or bacterial infection as the cause; other theories list problems in the immune system, the nervous system, the glandular system, or the patient's family history as possible causes. No conclusive data supports any of these theories, but scientists continue to research what may cause or contribute to chronic fatigue syndrome. Though sometimes difficult to diagnose, studies have found that early detection and treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome result in quicker recovery.
While not directly linked, patients of chronic fatigue syndrome often experience depression during their illness. Between 50 percent and 66 percent of people with chronic fatigue syndrome develop depression as a result of the disease. Depression, combined with the already exhausting effects of the chronic illness itself, often makes the disease's effects much worse. Chronic fatigue syndrome sufferers who experience depression should seek treatment for their depression. In fact, antidepressant medication is most often used as the first line treatment in chronic fatigue syndrome.
If you have experienced several of these symptoms recently, you may want to speak with your doctor about the possibility of chronic fatigue syndrome. Because chronic fatigue syndrome often takes time to diagnose, patients experiencing symptoms should contact their doctor to begin treatment as soon as possible. Early diagnosis and treatment can ease symptoms before they worsen.
Sources:
CDC:
http://www.cdc.gov/cfs/
Mayo Clinic
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/chronic-fatigue-syndrome/DS00395
WebMD:
http://www.webmd.com/Chronic-Fatigue-Syndrome/Chronic-Fatigue-Syndrome-Topic-Overview
# # #
Chestnut Hill Health System provides quality health care, covering the spectrum of services from prenatal through geriatric, for families in northwest Philadelphia and eastern Montgomery County.