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Today's topic is on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, CFS for short. CFS is one of the most controversial disorders, it has flu-like symptoms, no apparent cause and no proven cure. Very year, 500 million Americans visit their doctor to seek treatment for fatigue, and at least 2/3 of the sufferers are white middle-class women.
CFS it marked by persistent, debilitating fatigue, as well as other unexplainable symptoms, such as; headaches, muscle aches and weakness, tender lymph nodes, sore throat, joint pain, sleep that doesn't lead to feeling refreshed, difficulty concentrating, post-exercise exhaustion that lasts for 24 hours, and short-term memory problems. There may also be a chronic or recurring low-grade fever.
There are no laboratory tests for CFS, so a doctor has to rule out all other medical causes that produce similiar symptoms. According to the Center for Disease Control, the chronic fatigue and at least 8 other non-specific symptoms must persist for at least 6 months.
Only about 10% of the people with fatigue actually have CFS. The others have what is referred to as "garden variety" fatigue, caused by too little sleep or exercise, poor dietary habits or other easily correctable problems.
Many theories regarding possible causes have been advanced, but none have been proven. In many cases, CFS develops in the aftermath of a viral illness, such as mononucleosis or the flu, but no single viral cause has been identified. Other possible contributing factors include prolonged stress, hormonal imbalance, low blood pressure, allergies, immune system disorders, and psychological disorders.
Here are some overlooked causes of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome...
* Thyroid Problems - Many cases of CFS are caused by over- or underproduction of thyroxine. That's the thyroid hormone responsible for regulating how energy is consumed by the body's cells.
1) Overactive thyroid symptoms include; fatigue, anxiety, insomnia, heart palpitationsand bulging eyes.
2) Underactive thyroid symptoms include; feeling depressed or lethargic, chill easily, gaining weight, suffer from PMS, muscle aches, dry skin, eczema, hair loss, low libido, a hoarse throat or frequent colds or flu.
* Adrenal Insufficiency
Anyone whose fatigue is accompanied by malaise, frequent illness, allergies, low blood pressure or low blood sugar may be making too little of the hormone " dehydroepiandrosterone" (DHEA).
Adrenal insuffiency is usually caused by autoimmune disease...or by adrenal gland damage stemming from long-term use of cortisone.
* Diabetes
* Hormonal Problems
In men, some cases of CFS are caused by abnormally low levels of testosterone. Hormone problems can cause fatigue in women too, but tests for hormone imbalances in women are often inaccurate.
Women should suspect hormone problems if...
- Fatigue gets worse before menstruation and improves afterwards.
- Experience weight gain of more than 5 pounds prior to each period.
- You crave sugar, spicyfoods, or chocolate.
- Experience migraines or breast tenderness when taking birth control pills.
To treat hormone-related fatigue, women should reduce their consumption of alcohol, meat and dairy products. They should eat more dietary fiber and less sugar and refined foods. Take supplements of "gamma linolenic acid(GLA). GLA is found in primrose oil, borage oil and black currant seed oil. All are available at health-food stores.
I am going to end this section on CFS due to the length of the post. I am going to do a 2nd part to finish discussing CFS, so make sure to look for both postings!
Marilyn L Martin
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