Chronic fatigue syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS or ME / CFS) is much more than just being tired a lot. People with CFS are so worn that it interferes with their lives and can make it difficult to function at all. Some people with CFS say they have trouble staying on top of their tasks at home and at work, while others are severely disabled and even bedridden.

Furthermore, they not only dealing with extreme fatigue, but with a wide range of other symptoms, including flu-like symptoms and chronic pain.

After several years of research, experts now suspect that something called central sensitization is at least partly to blame for CFS. They also believe that what makes it so similar to fibromyalgia, which shares many of the same features.

CDC says the first credible evidence for a biological basis for CFS came in 2006 when 20 researchers from different specialties each connected to the disease genes involved in the sympathetic nervous system and HPA axis. These genes control how your body reacts to things like injuries and stress.

Many scientists believe at least some cases of CFS is caused by an abnormal response to common infectious agents. The condition is currently linked to Epstein-Barr virus, enterovirus, human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) and Lyme disease, although studies have not proven to be a consistent causality. But several studies suggest that the immune system may be chronically active in people with CFS, which can at least partially explain the fatigue and lack of energy - basically, your body thinks it is fighting an infection, whether it is or not, and which takes a lot of energy.

Evidence of immune system activation include:

• High levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (a cellular messenger in the immune system) 

• Impaired function of natural killer cells (NK cells) 

• Presence of autoantibodies (antibodies that attack its own tissues) 

• Reduced response of T cells (a type of white blood cells) for certain contaminants 

Literature on CFS (with different names) dates back to the 1700s. Over the centuries it has been falsely attributed to various causes, and is only now becoming better understood by medical science. CFS is still walking many names, including "chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction syndrome (CFIDS), and" myalgic encephalopathy "or" myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME). Currently, a name change advisory board is working to get the condition, officially known as CFS. The call for a name change is rooted in the belief that some patients and physicians that the name chronic fatigue syndrome trivializes the state itself and contributes to continued misunderstanding of it. 

• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Symptoms 

• Symptoms of ME / CFS and their intensity varies from person to person. 

Common symptoms include: 

• Sudden severe fatigue, especially after a flu-like illness 

• Sleep is not refreshing 

• Muscle and joint pain without swelling 

• Intense or changing patterns of headaches 

• Sore throat 

• swollen lymph glands in the neck or armpits 

• Memory problems / inability to concentrate 

• Symptoms have a distict debut 

Other symptoms may include: 

• Withstands alcohol 

• Irritable bowel syndrome 

• Dry eyes and mouth 

• Decreased movement of the hands and feet 

• Visual disturbances 

• painful menstruation 

• In the fatigue considered serious, it must meet four criteria: 

• It is not relieved by sleep or rest 

• It is not a result of strenuous physical work 

• It significantly reduces your ability to function normally in most situations 

• It will be much worse after mental or physical exertion, or after you have been sick 

• Causes of chronic fatigue syndrome 

• Currently, the cause of chronic fatigue syndrome (also known as myalgic encephalopathy or ME / CFS) remains a mystery. Although it often occurs after a cold, flu or viral infection, it can also begin in a time of serious physical or emotional stress. In some cases, however, it will evolve gradually and has no clear starting point. Although research over the last two decades have revealed a number of very real, physical deformities, it has not yet given a definitive cause of chronic fatigue syndrome. 

• Over the years a number of theories have been proposed and studied. Some possible reasons are viewing: 

• Viral infection (for example, Epstein-Barr or human herpesvirus6) 

• Hormonal changes in the hypothalamus, pituitary or adrenal 

• Allergies 

• Mild, chronic low blood pressure 

• Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) 

• Iron deficiency 

A number of studies have found immune system irregularities in chronic fatigue syndrome patients. One particularly promising area for immune system research is delving into the theory that CFS patients have an overactive immune system. Imbalances in T-cells (white blood cells that act as infection fighters) have been reported in several studies. Abnormal T cells in the immune system becomes persistent overactive and produce a surplus of cytokines, an inflammatory substance that can damage cells that produce fatigue, muscle pain and other symptoms of CFS. Two cytokines, including interleukin-6 and interleukin-1 is elevated in chronic fatigue syndrome patients. Although the cause of overproduction is unknown, scientists agree that cytokine overproduction plays an important role in CFS, and might eventually be used as a marker to identify the disease. 

Many experts believe that chronic fatigue syndrome develops from a convergence of two or more factors. They theorize that one or more of these factors may interact with certain neurological or genetic anomalies, trigger CFS. These factors may include: 

• Genetic factors 

• Brain abnormalities 

• A hyper-reactive immune system 

• Viral or other infectious agents 

• mental or emotional conditionsc