Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) has sometimes been called "yuppie flu" because it is most seen in white women between 30 and 50 years of age. Although some doctors don't recognize this as a legitimate diagnosis, the Centers for Disease Control considers it a distinct disorder with certain symptoms which is diagnosed by elimination of any other diagnosis. A CDC survey concluded that about 3 in every 1,000 Americans get it. As mentioned, it occurs mainly in white women, but men and women of all races can develop this disorder.

You may have heard of it because 45% of Gulf War veterans have CFS symptoms, 6% of them severe, 3 women for every man who has it. There is some suspicion that post-traumatic stress may play a role in these cases.

What are the symptoms? At least 4 of the following for a period of more than 6 months.

1) Difficulty concentrating or remembering, bad enough that it affects your ability to function. 2) Sore throat. 3) Tender, swollen lymph nodes in the neck or armpits. 4) Muscle pain - you just ache all over. 5) Joint pain, but no redness or swelling. 6) Intense headaches or a change in the pattern of headaches. 7) Waking up tired, sleeping too little or too much. 8) Feeling extremely tired after any sort of exertion. 9) Low grade fever (101 or lower). 10) Irritability, confusion, depression.

You can see that these symptoms can also indicate a variety of other illnesses or even over-medication. Any of them must be something that is new to you and it has to be severe enough that it really messes up your life. Plus it has to just go on and on, or keep returning in a pattern.

Everyone gets tired sometimes, but this is a really disabling sort of tired. Sometimes it seems to begin with a bout of the flu or a respiratory illness, but not always. It may also be linked to gynecological problems or it may have something to do with stress.

There are many guesses as to the cause of CFS, but no definitive decision as yet. Some doctors believe the whole thing is in a person's head, and actually there may be a psychological component to it. Perhaps it has physical and psychological causes which only precipitate the syndrome when they occur simultaneously.

Some 55-80% of CFS patients also have allergies and allergy symptoms do worsen the CFS symptoms, but they don't cause CFS. Studies have shown a relation between low blood pressure and CFS. One type of low blood pressure manifests itself by dropping when the person stands for a while. The blood pools in the lower extremities and the person becomes lightheaded, nauseous, or may even faint.

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