Chronic fatigue syndrome or CFS
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Health Article - Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
 

What is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)?

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a health problem that affects more people than multiple sclerosis, but few are familiar with the illness. In this article, we’ll be explaining some of the history behind our knowledge of chronic fatigue syndrome as a society so that you can see how our research practices and knowledge of the illness have evolved over the years.

Chronic fatigue syndrome or CFS was only recently classified as a type of illness, with the United States Center for Disease Control (USCDC) defining the symptoms of the syndrome in the year of 1988. When they released their information regarding the syndrome, they stated that the problem can be accurately diagnosed by doctors only when certain factors are present: an illness similar to the flu lasting six months or longer is one symptom, as well as a decrease in activity levels of fifty percent or more during that period.

If these symptoms are present in an individual and doctors cannot find another reason why they may be experiencing the problems, chronic fatigue syndrome is the diagnosis. This method of diagnosing patients wasn’t as clear-cut as doctors wanted it to be, however, and so the definition of the syndrome was changed in the year 1994.

In an attempt to make diagnosing the problem in a more clear-cut manner, the Center for Disease Control changed the definition so that more symptoms needed to be present in order for a diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome to be given. In addition to the symptoms that were present in the 1988 definition, the 1994 definition stated that at least four other symptoms must be present for a diagnosis, which may include trouble concentrating or remembering things, a sore throat, swollen lymph nodes, pain and swelling in the muscles or in the joints, no relief from sleep, or headaches that were previously not experienced by the individual.

The new definition also stressed that doctors should ask their patients questions about their lifestyle in order to ensure that the problem that they are experiencing isn’t due to a more explainable reason than chronic fatigue syndrome, such as being overworked.

While we are learning more about chronic fatigue syndrome every day, there is a long way to go on our path towards being able to identify the problem in an easy manner.

There has not been a universal cure discovered for chronic fatigue syndrome thus far, and many people use a variety of methodologies in order to experience relief from the illness, including medical treatments, therapy, lifestyle changes and alternative therapies such as Tai Chi and herbal remedies.

Researchers continue to toil away trying to find the ‘magic bullet’ that will show what causes chronic fatigue syndrome in individuals so that they will be able to treat it in a more efficient manner by addressing the source of the problem directly.

Since the syndrome has only been recently discovered, chances are that the future will hold plenty of answers and relief for the one million Americans that suffer from the syndrome and countless others across the globe.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Statistics

If you were to ask someone what chronic fatigue syndrome is, however, odds are that you will draw a blank stare. What’s astounding about this fact is that more people are affected by chronic fatigue syndrome than AIDS or multiple sclerosis. In this article, we’ll attempt to demystify chronic fatigue syndrome by giving you some hard numbers that will help to clearly illustrate exactly how prevalent the problem is in our modern-day society.

One study conducted by the United States Center for Disease Control in conjunction with DePaul University showed that over one million Americans are likely to be affected with a case of chronic fatigue syndrome. Unfortunately, many of these people fail to realize that they have a problem because chronic fatigue syndrome does not leave many noticeable symptoms. For that reason, the researchers conducting the study concluded that eighty to ninety percent of all sufferers of chronic fatigue syndrome will go undiagnosed and untreated.

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a problem that affects the human race universally, with men, women, children and adults of all ages and races experiencing the problem.

Minorities tend to be more affected by the problem, however, with Latinos being the most likely racial group to be diagnosed with a case of chronic fatigue syndrome. One interesting statistic regarding the syndrome is that it tends to occur more in women than it does in men, with approximately one male being affected per every four females. A woman is also as much as four times as likely to become afflicted with chronic fatigue syndrome then she is AIDS.

Since we only clinically addressed chronic fatigue syndrome as a problem in the year 1988, we’re still rather in the dark when it comes to how to diagnose it and how to treat it. Some people find relief from their problem by combining medical treatments as well as lifestyle changes and therapy. A study conducted on those who were diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome found that only approximately thirty percent of all of the patients with the syndrome found any relief from their symptoms after as much as five years. Approximately forty eight percent of all patients will experience lessened problems with chronic fatigue syndrome within ten years of being diagnosed.

In addition to the problems that individuals experience from chronic fatigue syndrome, it is also costly to the economy. As much as nine billion dollars per year is reported in lost productivity due to cases of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Now that you know a little more about just how common chronic fatigue syndrome is, you can understand the severity of the problem. If you think that there is a chance that you may be experiencing chronic fatigue syndrome, you should speak to a doctor, as many cases of the syndrome go undiagnosed. You’re better safe than sorry, and although there is no cure for the syndrome yet, there are some options that you have when it comes to lessening the symptoms that you are experiencing.

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DISCLAIMER: Information on this website is not presented by a medical practitioner and is for educational and informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

 
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