Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Symptoms

Posted under Fatigue by admin on Monday 14 April 2008
It is a common experience that a problem difficult at night is resolved in the morning after the committee of sleep has worked on it.

John Steinbeck

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is notoriously difficult to diagnose since there is no underlying marker or pathological test that can be done to identify it without a doubt as being ‘Chronic Fatigue Syndrome’.

And just because you are always tired or suffer from constant or chronic fatigue does not necessarily mean that you suffer from CFS.

Let’s do a quick rundown of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Symptoms so that you can see whether you suffer from any one, or more, of these symptoms.

Symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome:

Symptoms are divided into 8 groups. Medical practitioners would consider diagnosing someone with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome if:

  • All other testable diseases with similar symptoms have been ruled out
  • If 4 or more of the following symptoms have persistently been present for 6 months or more, and have not manifested themselves individually prior to those 6 months.

These symptoms are:

  1. Fatigue - tiredness, unexplained and persistent mental and/or physical exhaustion
  2. Post exertional malaise lasting more than 24 hours at a time, in other words, feeling inappropriately tired after exercise, not being able to recover from exercise even in mild formats
  3. Sleep dysfunction - not feeling refreshed and rested after sleep, or suffering from insomnia or having other disturbed sleeping patterns
  4. Pain - generalized muscle pain, joint pain without swelling or redness, headaches
  5. Impairment in concentration, ‘brain fog’, reduction in mental processing power.
  6. Autonomic Nervous system related problems such as bladder problems, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, nausea, lightheadedness.
  7. Temperature fluctuations, sensitivity to food, weight changes (loss or gain)
  8. Immune system manifestations such as sore or tender lymph nodes, sore throat, recurring flu-like symptoms.

If you are suffering from any of these symptoms for a period longer than 6 months, it would be a good idea to see a medical practitioner who is familiar with the symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

The difficulty comes in if you HAVEN’T yet suffered for longer than 6 months, since then it might be difficult to persuade a doctor to take your symptoms seriously.

If you definitely feel that something is wrong, that you are suffering from tiredness, constant flu-like symptoms and brain fog, but do not think that you can take these symptoms to a medical practitioner at this stage, then you might want to check out two natural solutions for tiredness and for stress, since both of these might just help you cope with these nagging persistent symptoms and maybe even overcome them:

To end tiredness: http://www.stopconstantfatigue.org/end-tiredness.php

To beat stress: http://www.stopconstantfatigue.org/beat-stress.php

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Superfoods for Relief from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Posted under Fatigue by admin on Monday 14 April 2008
Sleep, rest of nature, O sleep, most gentle of the divinities, peace
of the soul, thou at whose presence care disappears, who soothest
hearts wearied with daily employments, and makest them strong again
for labour!
Ovid (B.C. 43-18 A.D.)

The main indications of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) are overall general physical and mental weariness. There are many different causes of tiredness. Just because you're frequently tired doesn't necessarily mean you've got CFS. The condition must persist for more than six consecutive months and include other symptoms such as memory loss, sore throat, headaches and muscle/joint pain without swelling or redness.

Though there are several potential causes for CFS, the main reason for all fatigue is poor nutrition. Other causes could be faulty digestion, food allergies, obesity, sleep problems, tension or depression. Smoking, alcohol and drugs are also contributing factors.

In order to combat the symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, you can change your diet to include more fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Citrus fruits, berries, tomatoes, potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, red and green bell peppers, cabbage, and spinach are all full of vitamin C, which helps promote a healthy immune system. Zinc does the same. Red meat, fortified cereals, peanuts and dairy products are all good food sources of zinc.

And, for protein, focus on fish high in omega-3 oils and lean poultry, since they are loaded with essential fatty acids (EFAs) which help improve circulation and oxygen uptake with proper red blood cell flexibility and function. It's imperative to get EFAs from your dietary choices, as the body cannot manufacture them. EFA deficiencies are linked to diminished mental capacities and immune function.

Other things that will help include decreasing stress and getting plenty of good quality rest and regular moderate exercise. Drink lots of pure, clean water, and avoid sweets, caffeine, sodas, processed and salty foods.

If you are constantly feeling tired and not sure what the cause is, you should also check out this program to end tiredness.http://www.stopconstantfatigue.org/end-tiredness.php

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