Have you often experienced getting tired lately? That no matter how much you take rest, it doesn’t wear out? Do you easily forget things and get unusually confused? Do you have difficulty getting to sleep at night? How about muscle pains? If you answered yes to all of these questions, then you might want to read this.

In the medical field, there is a term coined up to a persistent (lasting more than 6 months) or relapsing fatigue that is characterized by other clinical manifestations such as weakness, muscle pain, impaired memory and/or mental concentration, and insomnia which lasts for more than 24 hours and in some cases, may even persist for years. These effects are called Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). Chronic Fatigue Syndrome affects nearly 0.3% of the adult U.S. population. Women, having a higher risk than men, represent about 75% of all cases. Onset is between 30 and 40 years of age and without treatment, about 95% of patients fail to recover. Hence, patients continue to suffer with the devastating effects of the syndrome.

In the United Kingdom, people there alternatively use the name "Chronic Fatigue Syndrome" with "Myalgic Encephalomyelitis". It was the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 1988 that originally coined the term "chronic fatigue syndrome" to describe the collective set of symptoms for this syndrome because there were several other names associated with it.

What is the cause of CFS?

Research has failed to identify the main cause of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome but there is a possibility that CFS may be due to infectious agents (viral), immunological dysfunction, stress activating the hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis, brain abnormalities, neurally-mediated hypotension, Psychiatric or emotional conditions, and/or nutritional deficiency. Exact knowledge of the causes of CFS remains unknown and research on the topic continues.

What are the symptoms?

The primary and most prominent symptoms of CFS are severe fatigue and weakening that is not improved by bed rest and may be worsened with physical or mental activity. It results in a dramatic decline in both activity level and stamina. The accompanying symptoms of CFS last at least 6 months and are used to diagnose this illness. Symptoms are self-reported impairment in short-term memory or concentration, frequent or recurring sore throat, tender neck or armpit lymph nodes, muscle pain, multi-joint pain without swelling or redness, headache, insomnia and post-exertion fatigue.

How is one diagnosed with CFS?

Actually, there is no definite diagnostic test that can diagnose CFS. Your doctor will initially take a detailed patient history, then a thorough physical and mental status examination. Afterwards, your doctor will order for a series of laboratory screening tests to rule out other possible causes of symptoms. Finally, your doctor will consider a diagnosis of CFS if two of these criteria are met: (1) an unexplained and persistent fatigue that is not relieved by rest and results in a significant reduction in previous levels of activity; (2) duration of the symptoms of CFS that were mentioned above for six months or more.

What is the treatment for people with CFS?

The goals of treatment for people with chronic fatigue syndrome are to reduce the severity of fatigue, better control of the associated secondary symptoms, help patients to gradually increase their level of activity, and lastly to enable patients to lead a reasonably good quality of life. There are also medications used to better manage the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome. These include:

1. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

-for pain relief; Naproxen (Aleve) and ibuprofen (Advil, Bayer Select, Motrin, Nuprin).

2. Low-dose tricyclic antidepressants

-may improve sleep and relieve mild generalized pain; E.g. Doxepin (Adapin, Sinequan), amitriptyline (Elavil, Etrafon, Limbitrol, Triavil).

3. Anxiolytic agents

-these medications are used to treat anxiety in people with CFS; E.g. alprazolam (Xanax) and lorazepam (Ativan).

4. Stimulants

-used to treat lethargy or daytime sleepiness; modafinil (Provigil).

5. Antivirals and Immunoboosters

-used to strengthen the immune system and treat viral infections. Recently released, there is a very strong and effective antiviral dietary supplement called Gene-Eden.

For more information about Gene-Eden, go to the Gene-Eden website. Gene-Eden is also available on the Amazon website.

About:

The Center for the Biology of Chronic Disease (CBCD) is a research center recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) non-for-profit organization. The mission of the CBCD is to advance the research on the biology of chronic diseases, and to accelerate the discovery of treatments for these diseases. The CBCD published the "Purple" book by Dr. Hanan Polansky. The book presents Dr. Polansky’s highly acclaimed scientific theory of the relationship between the DNA of latent (chronic) viruses and the onset of chronic diseases. Dr. Polansky’s book can be freely downloaded from the CBCD website.