Description chronic fatigue syndrome
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a term that a number of experts did not find their place and often questioned its existence. However, the condition of patients exists today and can not be denied.Certainly it is not easy for patients to navigate today, what exactly it is. The media is because there are a number of articles and opinions of this disease, so the layman can do nothing else than to describe some variant of the disease and its causes identified. Let this serve as a clarification of the text and refute some misconceptions about this disease that today even among some experts dominion or prevailed.
Each of us meets fatigue. It can be normal (physiological) reaction of the organism to stress, whether physical or mental, but it can also be a nonspecific symptom of a certain body (infections, diabetes, blood diseases, tumors) or mental illness, drug use, drug withdrawal and the like.
In various people, however, fatigue manifests itself in different ways and different extent. Someone more complains of weakness, restlessness, drowsiness, animosity, another may be mentally exhausted and did not want him to solve anything, no matter that he was somehow physically tired.
The population is increasing the incidence of fatigue states, which is associated with civilization factors – stress, the ever increasing demands of the profession, home, family care, financial security, etc.
The prevailing belief that today’s lifestyle is hectic, unbalanced and particularly challenging for women as a wearer dual roles – women having their profession and the responsibilities in the home and family care.
Fatigue suffer large part of the population, but only about 2-3% meet the conditions of chronic fatigue syndrome. It is a chronic disorder associated with severe fatigue lasting at least six months, which do not disappear even after the imposition of bed. Fatigue limits the daily activity below 50% attainment the state before onset of the disease and other causes are eliminated,which could be a source of chronic fatigue (oncological diseases – tumors, autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases, psychiatric diseases, endocrine diseases and others).
Accompanying symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome may be an elevated temperature, which increases after physical and mental stress, prolonged sore throat, enlargement and tenderness of the lymph nodes – especially cervical, pain in muscles and joints, headache, sleep disturbances, photophobia, forgetfulness, stress, anxiety restlessness and other neuropsychological changes and sudden onset of problems. If the condition is not properly treated, can ill and invalidizovat.
Previously widely discussed topic context of this syndrome with Ebstein-Barr virus (EBV) and the occurrence of antibodies against EBV patients indicating previous or acute disease caused precisely this infection has been questioned in several studies. Moreover it indicates that antibodies formed against EBV, i.e. mark prodělaného disease (seroprevalence) has a population of more than three quarters of individuals, if not 90%. Today, largely as a precipitating cause can be considered recurrent disease states (various viral infections), life crisis or stress way of life.
For patients, it is often hard to accept the fact that they not reveal any physical illness and a doctor in the worst case, either ignored or at best advised to psychiatry. Indeed this is so – Chronic fatigue syndrome is now perceived as a disease germinating on the basis of mental disorders and is often equated with the psychiatric diagnosis of neurasthenia (diagnosis F 48.0).
Neurasthenia rank among neurotic disorders when the patient complains mainly on fatigue and exhaustion that most often attributed to any physical illness. Usually divided into two types, which are more or less overlap. The first type is associated with increased fatigue after mental exertion (eg. When problems at work, family …), then the second type with feelings of increased tiredness and physical weakness after minimal exertion. For both types there may be symptoms such as headaches, inability to rejoice (anhedonia), irritability, anxiety, depression, insomnia or, conversely, excessive sleepiness (hypersomnia), concerns about his health and much more. The second type are probably the most correlated with the term chronic fatigue syndrome, or CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome).
Risk Factors Fatigue Syndrome
Risk factor for the disease is both mental and physical overstrain, stress, inability to relax.There are documents that, in some families with this syndrome occurs frequently, which means that there is a certain genetic predisposition increased sensitivity to stimuli that may induce disease (in particular in individuals who are harder to handle stress situations etc.).
Preventing fatigue syndrome
Appropriate prevention means learning how to manage their own lives so that we were not přepjatí, cultivate a healthy self-confidence, regularly indulge rest, find a hobby which we can relax and unwind.
Since they are often trigger problems in relationships, whether family or at work or elsewhere, it is beneficial to learn how to properly deal with people and so. “Cultivate good relations”, although some life events, of course, we can not influence.
Symptoms Fatigue Syndrome
Chronic fatigue syndrome usually begins suddenly, seemingly without apparent cause. Patients complain mainly to inadequate fatigue that does not correlate with the performed tasks and daily activities. Sleep and rest controls the entire day while the patient does not bring relief. Frequent is the progression of the disease to the extent that the question is no longer able to get out of bed and function normally until finally must arrange incapacity.
Incapacity may take several weeks, months and even years, and in serious cases the work process some individuals will never return. Syndrome are more likely to women in middle age, which is explained by the higher workload of women at work, and then in the home and family care.
Besides fatigue may then occur sore throat, swollen neck lymph nodes (which was previously attributed to just infection with EBV), headache and muscle pain (hence the earlier designation myalgic encephalomyelitis), joint pain, sleep disturbances (insomnia or excessive sleepiness-hypersomnia) , dizziness, irritability, and many others.
Treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome
Approximately half of the patients to heal spontaneously and without treatment alone. The other half are not so lucky, however, the disease is treatable and relatively manageable if it is being addressed in a timely and ill gets into the hands of an expert, and is willing to cooperate and accept that it may be mentally ill (which in today’s hectic and hard times is of course nothing exceptional).
From the therapeutic point of view it is important to avoid arguing about the causes of failures and accept mental illness as fact. Recall that the physical and psychological fatigue are equally important and both are solvable.
Since the sick, who is feeling tired more often or always resting to avoid even greater fatigue and decreasing his muscle mass. It also causes the steadily decreasing performance. In ill it increases the feeling that it is getting more and more tired. It is a vicious circle. It is therefore important that sick certain prescribed activities developed and planned their activity increased.
The patient is usually discussed past life and certain life events are reviewed and discussed as possibly inducing factors (life events, conflicts, etc.). Appropriate treatment is group and individual psychotherapy, meditation, hypnosis, art therapy and music therapy that the patient leads to relaxation, relaxing them and increase confidence.
Of the drugs used drugs administered in depression, thus antidepressants. Remove additives depression and anxiety, fear of disease and treatment of the syndrome generally have a very good effect.
How can I help myself
If you suffer from prolonged fatigue, the cause of which you are not able to disclose, you should definitely visit a medical practitioner who is at least conduct an examination and blood tests to rule out infectious or other diseases.
Fatigue can be caused by long-term lack of sleep, so make sure proper sleep schedule and work activities. Do not overload at work, work in the family Allocate fairly among its other members – as far as it goes. Find a hobby (eg. Yoga) that can help you manage stress and drop, relax regularly.
Complications fatigue syndrome
The most serious complications when inappropriate or no treatment, the patient’s disability, that is no longer able to attend work, lead a normal family life and even lead life as led before a failure occurs.
Patients with this syndrome often find increased incidence of depression and anxiety stemming from the hopelessness that they are experiencing during prolonged fatigue, the cause of which they do not realize, they can not explain it, get rid of it or not suppress. The worst thing for the patient, then the rejection of treatment and the presence of fault on the part of doctors, which can lead to severe depressive states.
Other names: myalgic encephalomyelitis, CFS, chronic fatigue syndrome, CFIDS, chronic fatigue immune dysfunction syndrome, chronic fatigue immune dysfunction, Icelandic disease, Akureyri disease, Royal Free disease, neurasthenia