Guide Note

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disabling disorder that is marked by severe exhaustion and doesn't improve with bed rest. The cause of chronic fatigue syndrome is unknown and the symptoms can last for years. Anyone can get chronic fatigue syndrome but it is most common in women in their forties and fifties.

A doctors goal is to relieve the signs and symptoms by using a combination of treatments to provide relief. Some things that a doctor will suggest is moderating daily activity. Also a gradual but steady exercise program will be recommended. Other treatments include cognitive-behavioral therapy, treatment for depression, treatment for any existing pain and treating any allergy symptoms.

Fast Facts

1. Also called CFS
2. Exact cause unknown
3. Defined in 1988
4. Affects 4 in 1000 in U.S.
5. Four times more women than men suffer
6. Can occur at any age
7. Usually strikes in 40s or 50s
8. Symptoms: fatigue, sleep dysfunction, pain
9. 70% of patients reported feeling better after a gradual exercise program

A great deal of debate has surrounded the issue of how best to define CFS. In an effort to resolve these issues, an international panel of CFS research experts convened in 1994 to draft a definition of CFS that would be useful both to researchers studying the illness and to clinicians diagnosing it. In essence, in order to receive a diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome, a patient must satisfy two criteria:

• Have severe chronic fatigue of six months or longer duration with other known medical conditions excluded by clinical diagnosis; and
• Concurrently have four or more of the following symptoms: substantial impairment in short-term memory or concentration; sore throat; tender lymph nodes; muscle pain; multi-joint pain without swelling or redness; headaches of a new type, pattern or severity; unrefreshing sleep; and post-exertional malaise lasting more than 24 hours.

The symptoms must have persisted or recurred during six or more consecutive months of illness and must not have predated the fatigue. — Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Disclaimer

The content in this page is not a substitute for professional medical advice. If you think you have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, please consult your doctor.