What is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)?

Answer 1

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People with CFS suffer from a wide variety of symptoms, but the most common and usually the most severe are fatigue, muscle aching and difficulty concentrating. These symptoms are usually made worse by exercise. Other symptoms include feverishness, bowel irregularity, sleep disturbances, headache and tender lymph glands in the neck. (The word "chronic" is used by doctors to describe something that is present for a long time as opposed to acute, which implies something short-term). Symptoms like fatigue and muscle aching are common in almost all illnesses. It is only when they have been present for a long time, in the absence of any other illness which would explain them, that the diagnosis of CFS is considered.

Many patients date the onset of their illness to a particularly bad attack of "flu", from which they fail to make a full recovery. Others become ill more gradually, with no definite point of onset.

Answer 2

A person with CFS feels completely worn-out and overtired. This extreme tiredness makes it hard to do the daily tasks that most of us do without thinking — like dressing, bathing, or eating. Sleep or rest does not make the tiredness go away. It can be made worse by moving, exercising, or even thinking.
CFS can happen over time or come on suddenly. People who get CFS over time get more and more tired over weeks or months. People who get CFS suddenly feel fine one day and then feel extremely tired the next. A person with CFS may have muscle pain, trouble focusing, or insomnia (not being able to sleep). The extreme tiredness may come and go. In some cases the extreme tiredness never goes away. The extreme tiredness must go on for at least 6 months before a diagnosis of CFS can be made.

Answer 3

Chronic fatigue syndrome, or CFS, is a debilitating and complex disorder characterized by profound fatigue that is not improved by bed rest and that may be worsened by physical or mental activity. Persons with CFS most often function at a substantially lower level of activity than they were capable of before the onset of illness. In addition to these key defining characteristics, patients report various nonspecific symptoms, including weakness, muscle pain, impaired memory and/or mental concentration, insomnia, and post-exertional fatigue lasting more than 24 hours. In some cases, CFS can persist for years. The cause or causes of CFS have not been identified and no specific diagnostic tests are available. Moreover, since many illnesses have incapacitating fatigue as a symptom, care must be taken to exclude other known and often treatable conditions before a diagnosis of CFS is made.

A great deal of debate has surrounded the issue of how best to define CFS. In an effort to resolve these issues, an international panel of CFS research experts convened in 1994 to draft a definition of CFS that would be useful both to researchers studying the illness and to clinicians diagnosing it. In essence, in order to receive a diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome, a patient must satisfy two criteria:

Have severe chronic fatigue of six months or longer duration with other known medical conditions excluded by clinical diagnosis; and
Concurrently have four or more of the following symptoms: substantial impairment in short-term memory or concentration; sore throat; tender lymph nodes; muscle pain; multi-joint pain without swelling or redness; headaches of a new type, pattern or severity; unrefreshing sleep; and post-exertional malaise lasting more than 24 hours.
The symptoms must have persisted or recurred during six or more consecutive months of illness and must not have predated the fatigue.

Answer 4

I've been battling Chronic Fatigue Syndrome for 4 years now and when I got this system I was probably at the lowest point of my life. I had no energy at all and was in constant pain. I hated myself and hated the doctors who all shrugged it off and told me I just needed to take it easy or that I simply needed to have proper sleep!

This have completely changed my life. Barely 3 weeks on this system, and my brain fog and headaches are gone completely! I can now also manage to go for a 20 minute brisk walk without feeling exhausted.

Free Yourself From CFS, Naturally!

Answer 5

The term Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) refers to a symptom complex of marked and prolonged fatigue for which no identifiable cause can be found. Other symptoms frequently present include generalised muscle weakness and pain, low-grade fever, sore throat, painful lymph nodes in the neck and armpits, exacerbation of fatigue after moderate or strenuous exercise for periods of 24 hours or more, transient pains in a number of joints, and various disturbances of neuropsychological function including confusion, irritability, poor concentration and visual changes. Despite the range of other symptoms being extensive, none are essential for the diagnosis to be made in the presence of profound fatigue of 6 months or more duration. Chronic fatigue syndrome is frequently seen in association with psychiatric illnesses such as depression and anxiety but has not been shown to be causally related to any particular psychiatric disease.
The cause of chronic fatigue syndrome remains unknown at this point in time. A number of research teams throughout the world have investigated possible links to a number of virus infections (including Epstein-Barr virus, enteroviruses and poliomyelitis as well as and fungal agents (in particular, Candida albicans). Despite extensive studies, the evidence that CFS is caused by any particular infective agent is equivocal. Nor has it been shown that physical or mental stress cause chronic fatigue syndrome.

Chronic fatigue syndrome occurs more commonly in women with a peak incidence in those in the third and fourth decades. Despite media references to the condition being more common in those in middle income and groups, evaluation of social status of cases indicate that CFS occurs with about equal frequency in all social classes. In general, no forms of treatment are shown to alter the course of the condition. Recovery is reported in a number of studies to be facilitated by rest complemented by a supervised program of gentle exercise. In general, no forms of medication have been shown to alter the course of the disease although treatment of specific symptoms is recommended when present. The prognosis varies greatly across the spectrum of cases reported to date, with the majority of sufferers eventually recovering after a period of one to ten years.

Answer 6

When you feel tired ALL THE TIME. No matter how much you sleep, you constantly feel tired and worn out. Hope this helps!!

Answer 7

Personally I think its a crock. there is an underlying reason. yet another disease of our generation...

Answer 8

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