Chronic Fatigue Syndrome


The term chronic fatigue syndrome refers to a collection of illhealth symptoms (not just one or two), the most identifiable of which are fatigue and flu-like aches and pains. An official definition of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) was first published in the Annals of Internal Medicine in 1994. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have since published official symptoms of CFS, too. Although many physicians feel the following list of symptoms is limiting and requires some expansion for accuracy, as of this writing, the official defining symptoms of CFS have two parts:

First, there is an unexplained fatigue that is “new.” In other words, you’ve previously felt fine and have only noticed in the last six months or so that you’re always fatigued, no matter how much rest you get. The fatigue is also debilitating for you; you’re not as productive at work, and it interferes with normal activities that may be social, personal, or academic. You’ve also noticed poor memory or concentration, which affects your activities and performance, too.

In addition to this fatigue, a person with CFS has had four or more of the following conditions for a period of at least six months:

• Sore throat

• Mild or low-grade fever

• Tenderness in the neck and underarm area (where you have lymph nodes, which may be swollen, causing tenderness)

• Muscle pain (called myalgia)

• Pain along the nerve of a joint, without redness or Swelling

• A new kind of headache, one you’ve never suffered from before

• Sleep that leaves you unrefreshed (a sign of insufficient amounts of non-REM sleep)

• Fatigue, weakness, and general unwellness for a good twenty-four hours after you’ve had even moderate exercise

If none of the above symptoms is responsible for your condition, you may be suffering from CFS. You also could be diagnosed with a frustrating label: idiopathic fatigue, which means that your fatigue is of unknown origin. This is not very helpful, and if your symptoms persist, you should find out why you don’t meet CFS criteria.

Legal Disclaimer

Our website is not responsible for the information contained by this article. Webworldarticles.com is a free articles resource thus practically any visitor can submit an article. However if you notice any copyrighted material, please contact us and we will remove the article(s) in discussion right away.


This article was sent to us by: Dr. Groza Mariana at 12102007

Related Articles

1. Eye Care Products to Help Our Eyes
Our eyes are the most attractive wealth that we have. We would not be capable of viewing and appreciate the wonders of this splendid world without our eyes. Therefore tak...

2. How to Use a Knee Brace
If you have a knee brace then you should know how to use it properly. If you incorrectly use a knee brace then you could cause harm to your knee. If a doctor gi...

3. How to Acquire a Knee Brace
If you are wondering how you can get a knee brace there are many ways. Many of these ways include through a doctor and walking into a store to buy one. If you...

4. When Knee Braces are Most Useful
There are many purposes of knee braces. The primary reasons for wearing a knee brace include for support, protection, and rehabilitating the knee. Usually a doctor wi...

5. Do Knee Braces Really Work
Some people often question whether their knee brace really works. You might have a knee brace and not wear it because you question whether it works or not. If a doctor...

6. Types of Knee Braces
There are many different types of knee braces. The most common are the prophylactic, functional, patellafemoral, unloader or offloader, hinged, and the donjoy knee brac...

7. What is a Knee Brace
If your doctor has recommended you wear a knee brace then you should wear it. It is important to understand what a knee brace is and how it will help your knee. ...

8. Senior Home Care Services Can Provide an Alternative to Long Term Care
When choosing a senior home care agency what important things we need to know about the agency and how the agency will provide senior home care service. I...

9. Checklist for Choosing Home Care Providers
The subject of home care providers is a common issue these days when caring for the elderly. The details of how to approach elderly home care is not always simple and cho...