What exactly does it mean to be "chronically fatigued"? Is it just about feeling tired? Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is a complicated disorder in which a person experiences profound and debilitating fatigue and weakness that worsens with physical or mental activity, and that doesn’t get better with extra rest. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in order to be diagnosed with CFS, a person must:
- feel chronically fatigued for six months or longer, while having other known medical conditions excluded
- have four or more of these main symptoms—loss of short-term memory or concentration; sore throat; painful and tender lymph nodes; muscle pain; multi-joint pain without swelling or redness; new or different types of headaches; sleep that does not refresh; and lethargy lasting more than 24 hours.
Between one and four million Americans have CFS. The illness should be taken seriously; about 40 percent of people who report having symptoms of CFS actually have another serious medical condition that also causes fatigue, such as diabetes, thyroid disease, hormonal disorders, sleep apnea and narcolepsy, and major depression. In these instances, these conditions are treatable when recognized and distinguished from having CFS. So if you do experience persistent or excessive fatigue, speak with your doctor to determine its cause, which could range from infections to psychological disorders.
In some cases, CFS can persist for years. Its cause has not yet been identified and no specific diagnostic tests are available, making it very difficult to determine who even has the disorder. Because its symptoms are so difficult to measure, CFS wasn’t widely accepted as an actual medical condition for years. However, this has changed recently. The symptoms can be rather severe, and in some cases be as disabling as having another chronic condition like multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, or congestive heart failure.
Who is at risk for having CFS? A person of any age, gender, ethnicity or socioeconomic group can have the disorder. Research has shown that it’s more commonly found in people who are in their forties and fifties, and is usually less common in children than in adults. CFS is also four times more likely to affect women than men. There’s a chance that a person’s environment and genetics may play a role in developing CFS, although this hasn’t yet been confirmed by research.
Since there’s no cure for CFS, treating the disorder involves relieving symptoms and improving a person’s functionality as much as possible. Changing one’s lifestyle to be overall healthier by reducing stress and overexertion, restricting diet, exercising regularly, and taking supplements are usually recommended in addition to drug therapy that treats sleep, pain, and other symptoms.
