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Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is a complex, multi-systemic disease of unknown origin. CFS manifests as severe physical and mental exhaustion which is unrelieved by rest and may worsen with physical and mental activity. According to the Center for Disease Control, more than four million Americans have CFS but 80% to 90% of those affected are not diagnosed or receiving proper treatment for this misunderstood condition. Although CFS strikes people of every age, race, and socioeconomic group, it affects women four times more often than men and is more prevalent in those who are in their 40s and 50s.

Whether the condition had a rapid or gradual onset, the symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome are far worse than the name implies. The signs, which for the most part are invisible and highly variable, fluctuate in severity from one day to the next. Further complicating matters, there are currently no laboratory tests identifying any markers unique to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Although CFS is still a highly controversial illness, the medical community has developed a set of criteria to aid doctors in arriving at a diagnosis.

For a Chronic Fatigue Syndrome diagnosis, a patient must have had persistent fatigue lasting six or more months and meet four of the following eight primary signs and symptoms.

Loss of memory or concentration

Sore throat

Painful and mildly enlarged lymph nodes in your neck or armpits

Unexplained muscle soreness

Pain that moves from one joint to another without swelling or redness

Headache of a new type, pattern or severity

Sleep disturbance

Extreme exhaustion lasting more than 24 hours after physical or mental exercise

While that is the official diagnostic criteria, people with CFS report many more symptoms that affect the entire body. These include:

Abdominal pain

Allergies or sensitivities to foods, alcohol, odors, chemicals, medications or noise

Chest pain

Diarrhea

Dizziness and balance problems

Nausea

Chills and night sweats

Irregular heartbeat

Panic attacks, depression, irritability and anxiety

Visual disturbances

Because the symptoms of CFS can mimic other conditions, the diagnosis of this disease is one of exclusion (diagnosis is only made after all other causes are ruled out). If you or someone you know is being assessed for CFS, don't be surprised if the doctor orders a myriad of tests before you receive the correct diagnosis. One of the tests will check for vitamin D levels since a deficiency in vitamin D can cause some of the same symptoms found in CFS.

Although the treatments for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome are effective, they do not provide a cure and only alleviate the symptoms; not the underlying cause.

Medications -

Your physician will most likely begin treatment with medications that provide relief from the widespread pain, sleep disturbances, nausea, anxiety and depression that are so much a part of the illness.

Supportive -

This treatment, usually recommended as an addition to the medications, helps the patient living with CFS to better understand and cope with their disease. Counseling for emotional well-being, sleep management, and cognitive behavioral therapy are all part of this supportive treatment.

Change in lifestyle

All who suffer with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome have to alter their lifestyle at some point after the onset of the illness. Since acceptance of the limitations CFS creates is perhaps the most difficult hurdle for the patient, these changes might require the assistance of mental health professionals along with dieticians, physical therapists and experts in sleep management.

For further information and an excellent support network, visit the CFIDS (Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome) website at www.cfids.org..

Learn more about this author, Kate Kennedy.
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