We all lead busy lives, we wake up early, sleep late, but often our body gets used to sleeping a certain amount of hours, where once it gets used to a routine, you no longer feel tired. Yet, people with chronic fatigue syndrome suffer an unexplained and extreme feeling of tiredness that can last not just a couple of days, but months if not years, if left undiagnosed.
What are the symptoms?
You experience debilitating fatigue to the point where it reduces your ability to function on a day-to-day basis.
You feel worse when you push your limits, whether it’s physical, mental, or emotional, you do an activity that makes you feel like you’re going to collapse from tiredness or pain.
You often wake up tired, even when you sleep well. You wake up feeling like you haven’t slept at all.
Your brain feels sluggish, you forget things, have difficulty paying attention, problem-solving, and planning.
You get lightheaded from just standing, you feel dizzy and like you’re going to faint. This is called orthostatic intolerance, which is linked to the chronic fatigue’s effect on the autonomic nervous system.
Headaches, joint, or muscle pain is a common symptom of chronic fatigue.
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms it’s important to talk to your doctor because only he or she will be able to properly diagnose you and run the necessary tests. Unfortunately, there is no cure for chronic fatigue, but the symptoms can be treated with various drug therapies, such as sleep aids and pain relievers, as well as exercise and counseling.
Doctors don’t know what causes chronic fatigue syndrome, some think it might be a genetic predisposition, others suggest that it comes from Epstein-Barr virus, or other infections, immune system problems or hormonal imbalances. Women are four times more likely to be diagnosed with the syndrome than men. Caucasians are more likely to be diagnosed, but some research suggests that minorities are at a greater risk.
This is why it’s so important to visit your doctor regularly and if there’s something bothering you, make sure you tell your doctor.