Fatigue has become a part of today’s stressful life. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is when the person feels tired all the time.
What is chronic fatigue syndrome?
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is characterized by persistent fatigue. Even when the person takes the rest, the tiredness persists. This fatigue drains your energy leaving you feeling dull and weary even when you aren’t ill. A little physical activity or some even mental activity can worsen the condition. CFS has several other names depending on the intensity of fatigue and the severity of the condition.
Causes of chronic fatigue:
There have been no proven factors established as the causes of chronic fatigue. A few possible causes that physicians suggest are:
- Immune system disorders or a weak immune system.
- Viral infections
- Hormonal imbalance
- In rare cases, heredity
What does the person with chronic fatigue go through?
Here are few possible symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome:
- Fatigue- feeling tired, lack of energy all the time
- Infections and soreness of throat
- Incoherence of thoughts
- Lack of concentration
- Joint pain, not necessarily accompanied by swelling or redness
- Aches in the muscles
- Sudden headaches of varied severity
- Tiredness that doesn’t subside even after days of rest.
How to tell if you have chronic fatigue?
Feeling exhausted is something common. How to identify if it is the usual exhaustion you feel or if you suffering from chronic fatigue?
In most cases, if you are tired after some physical exercises or some activities that drain all your energy, a good rest is all you need. Normal fatigue would gradually come down after a good diet and some rest. In addition to the above-mentioned symptoms, when you have chronic fatigue you might experience a few of the following as well:
- Even after a whole night’s sleep you might wake up feeling weary
- You might have an undisturbed sleep that is in no way refreshing
- Sudden unexplained weight fluctuations
- Change in your blood pressure
- Sudden allergic reactions
There might be other physical and psychological implications for which you cannot identify any particular cause. When you feel tired all the time and if your fatigue persists for days check for any underlying health problems. Check if you are healthy in all other aspects, and if you do not have a fever or flu infections. Check your thyroid and diabetes levels. These are few other cases that might leave you feeling exhausted.
If you aren’t able to narrow down any such reasons to explain your tiredness, then perhaps it is chronic fatigue.
Who is at higher risk to develop chronic fatigue?
- Women are more prone to CFS
- People who do not manage their stress
- People in the average age group of 40-60 might be at higher risk to experience CFS.
What to do if you have chronic fatigue?
If you leave chronic fatigue untreated, it might lead to depression and other disorders mainly due to the lack of sleep. It might also reduce your productivity at work. As CFS doesn’t have a defined cause, there is no specific treatment for it. Your doctor might prescribe some sleeping pills to improve your sleep pattern. He might even give some antidepressants if you are experiencing CFS for a prolonged period. This is just to ease your mind and help you unwind.
