10 Symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Life can be tiring. We only have so much stamina to keep us going, and we all need to sleep every night. Generally speaking, though, even after a hard day, we can go to sleep to wake feeling refreshed and invigorated the next day. Unfortunately, some people can always feel tired no matter how much sleep they get.
Chronic fatigue syndrome is a condition that is typified by a lack of energy and a feeling of physical weakness. In addition, the condition carries some other symptoms that can be very unpleasant. It is a condition that can seriously impair the life of the afflicted person, and medical help should be sought if the following symptoms are experienced 1https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/chronic-fatigue-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20360490.
Symptom #1: Weakness
People who don’t exercise are likely to be physically weaker than those who do. Still, even those that don’t exercise won’t necessarily feel weak, at least not until compared to others. People with chronic fatigue syndrome will often feel weak and it can be debilitating.
It is a condition known as post-exertional malaise, or PEM, and is often also associated with pain 2https://www.verywellhealth.com/what-is-post-exertional-malaise-716023. Swollen lymph nodes and a sore throat will also likely be present. It is often as a result of physical or mental exertion and can be delayed by days or even weeks in some cases.
Symptom #2: Pain
We all get aches and pains occasionally. Quite often it is because we have been sitting in an awkward position. At other times it can be because of an injury, or maybe even an illness. These pains usually subside before long but for people with chronic fatigue syndrome, such pains can be ever-present.
The pain mostly affects muscles and joints and can range in severity from mild to severe and usually have no apparent cause. Muscles and joints can also become stiff, and there is little that can be done other than just waiting it out. The pain will usually linger for weeks, but in some cases pain may last for months.
Symptom #3: Getting Sick
We tend not to get sick often. We will pick up the occasional bug, but for the most part, we remain free from illness. This is thanks to our immune system that is in operation all day every day. One theory for the cause of chronic fatigue syndrome is a weakening of the immune system leading to a decrease in the body’s natural ability to fight off disease.
With a weakened immune system, people with chronic fatigue syndrome are more likely to fall ill. Colds and flu can become common to them, and otherwise mild illnesses can become more severe. People with chronic fatigue syndrome are encouraged to get as much exercise as possible and eat a healthy diet to bolster their immune systems.
Symptom #4: Difficulty Sleeping
Our internal body clocks are usually quite effective at sending us to sleep at the right time. Provided we allow ourselves enough time in bed, we should be able to get all the sleep we need. It is not always that easy, though, and people with chronic fatigue syndrome can find sleeping very difficult.
For people with the condition, sleeping can be difficult even if they have been feeling tired all day long. Sometimes, they may only be able to sleep at certain times in the day, potentially turning their sleeping cycles upside down. What’s more is that even if they do manage to get a good night’s sleep, they will still feel tired from the moment they wake up the next day.
Symptom #5: Cognitive Impairment
While some people are smarter than others, most of us have little difficulty in processing what is going on around us. We can generally think quick enough to solve minor obstacles that we encounter and we often do so with little to no effort. For people with chronic fatigue syndrome, however, even the simplest of challenges can become difficult.
People with the condition can find that their ability to think clearly is impaired considerably. They will struggle to remember things in the short term and they might even forget what they were saying before they finish a sentence. It can be noticeable in speech when they struggle to string together a meaningful sentence.
Symptom #6: Tingling
Our body helps us to sense what is around us. It can be very effective at alerting us to when we might be in harm’s way, sending messages to the brain that bring our attention to an area of the body. Sometimes, though, people may feel sensations that have no apparent cause.
One symptom of chronic fatigue syndrome is a tingling or ticklish sensation. It has also been described as burning or numbness, or pins and needles. The discomfort can range from mild, to downright agonising. For some people, the sensation feels like bugs crawling beneath the skin. The condition is known as paresthesia, and there is no known cure as of yet but there are ways to manage it.
Symptom #7: Dizziness
Our bodies have evolved to enable us to walk upright without even thinking about it. This involves an extraordinary sense of balance that enables us to walk, run and even jump without falling over. Sometimes, though, this sense of balance can be affected, and moving becomes far harder than it used to be.
For people with chronic fatigue syndrome, dizziness is often a problem. It can be severe enough to be debilitating, although there are some remedies that can at least help to minimize the extent of the symptoms.
Symptom #8: Sensitivity to Stimuli
All around us is information regarding our surroundings. Sounds, sights and smells tell us what is going on, and our brains take the information we need and turn it into something useful. Sometimes, though, people can become very sensitive to these stimuli, and things can get really quite uncomfortable for them.
For people with chronic fatigue syndrome, bright lights, sounds and even smells can become unbearable. They can be unbearably irritating, even painful, and can induce vomiting and severe headaches. Quite often, people with the condition will need to lay down in a quiet, dark room away from other people until the sensitivity subsides.
Symptom #9: Cannot Stand for Long
We spend much of our time vertically. We will spend a lot of time walking or even just standing around talking to other people. While it can get tiring after a while, we can pretty much stay vertical for as long as we like. For some people, though, even standing up straight is not an easy thing to do.
One symptom that is fairly common in people with chronic fatigue syndrome is a condition known as orthostatic intolerance. The condition manifests itself as an urge to lay down after standing up straight even for short periods of time. It is caused by a lack of blood flow to the head, meaning the person has to lay down to allow the brain to get the blood it needs.
Symptom #10: Stomach Problems
Many of us have certain foods that we cannot eat for some reason. It might be that we just don’t like the taste, or they might give us a bad stomach ache. But if we keep clear of those foods we don’t usually have a problem. For some people, though, the range of foods that gives us problems can be so wide that we struggle to eat anything without adverse side effects.
People with chronic fatigue syndrome are prone to suffering from stomach pains after eating certain foods. Symptoms can also include bloating, nausea, rashes and stabbing pains. They can avoid symptoms by removing certain foods from their diet, and for many people this means eating a very restricted diet.
