by Richard Smith

Created on: July 28, 2008   Last Updated: September 18, 2008

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is a seriously debilitating disease whose effects are compounded by the fact that medical science has yet to reach agreement on the actual causes of the illness which in turn makes treatment more difficult.

Having had a partner who was diagnosed with CFS having displayed many of the symptoms of it I do know that there are long term effects of the illness both from a physical and a psychological view point. Not least is the perception by some people in society that is just one of those made up illnesses by the medical fraternity and the you often hear comments like "Load of rubbish, this was not around in my day". Such attitudes are nave and unhelpful after all medical science is constantly discovering new diseases and also the cure for the illnesses that come from them.

There are those who suspect that the causes are viral however the majority of doctors believe a combination of both psychological and physical causes may lie at the heart of the illness. There is evidence to suggest that there may be a genetic factor at play as the problem is more prevalent in some families however there is also evidence to suggest that some viral infections that weaken the bodies' immune system are likely to trigger the illness especially if combined with bouts of depression or stress.

So what are the symptoms to look out for?

Fatigue

Well the first one is pretty obvious given that it is in the title of the illness however the important factor here is that the fatigue felt is persistent over a period of time rather than the fatigue felt after a hard work out. My partner used to find that even after sleep and rest they did not feel refreshed instead they woke up feeling tired, not only that there was a general lethargy about them and she was unable to do things that a few months earlier would not have been a problem.

This fatigue is extremely hard to identify as there could be many other causes linked to it such as depression or just physical exhaustion. In addition there is the added pressure from society to self heal in these matter, to put on a brave face and just get on with it, however in the case of suspected CFS it s important to get medical help as soon as possible so that tests can be carried out to eliminate other potential causes of the fatigue.

Mental Agility

A potential symptom of CFS is also a loss of mental agility, sufferers can experience memory problems especially with short term memory loss and can also find it hard to concentrate on

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