Nutrition and Supplements. Avoid refined foods, sugar, caffeine, alcohol, and saturated fats. Eat more fresh vegetables, legumes, whole grains, protein, and essential fatty acids found in nuts, seeds, and cold-water fish. The following supplements may help reduce symptoms of CFS.
Modest exercise reduces fatigue and improves functioning and fitness in up to 75 percent of people with CFS. It's important to exercise within your limits. Begin with as little as 5 minutes of light to moderate exercise a day. Then slowly increase how long and how hard you exercise.
It is possible that ME/CFS is caused by a change in the person's immune system and the way it responds to infection or stress. ME/CFS shares some features of autoimmune illnesses (diseases in which the immune system attacks healthy tissues in own body, like in rheumatoid arthritis).
During PEM, any ME/CFS symptoms may get worse or first appear, including difficulty thinking, problems sleeping, sore throat, headaches, feeling dizzy, or severe tiredness. It may take days, weeks, or longer to recover from a crash.
ME/CFS is not a psychological disorder. However, living with a chronic illness is challenging, especially one that involves missing out on normal life activities, and this may lead to mental health problems like anxiety or depression.
There is no cure or approved treatment for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). However, some symptoms can be treated or managed. Treating these symptoms might provide relief for some patients with ME/CFS but not others.
Although there's no cure for ME/CFS, there are ways to help manage your symptoms.
Studies show that psychological support, including cognitive behavioral therapy, can help treat symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome. Although there is no cure, physicians may treat symptoms with medications, such as antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs.
SAN DIEGO, June 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A new study reports significantly reduced mental and physical fatigue in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) and Long COVID patients, with the administration of oral Anhydrous Enol-Oxaloacetate, (AEO), a medical food and nutritional supplement.
There's no test for myalgic encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), but there are clear guidelines to help doctors diagnose the condition. A GP should ask you about your medical history and give you a physical examination.
Most of the time fatigue can be traced to one or more lifestyle issues, such as poor sleep habits or lack of exercise. Fatigue can be caused by a medicine or linked to depression. Sometimes fatigue is a symptom of an illness that needs treatment.
Checking the Symptoms
Reduced ability to do usual activities for six months or more because of fatigue. Worsening of symptoms (difficulty thinking, problems sleeping, sore throat, headaches, feeling dizzy, or severe tiredness). after physical or mental exertion.
Common causes of tiredness and fatigue include: not getting enough sleep or finding it hard to get to sleep (insomnia) an unhealthy lifestyle (such as having an unhealthy diet and not getting much exercise) stress, depression and dealing with life challenges, such as bereavement or looking after a new baby.
People with CFS experience symptoms that make it hard to do daily tasks like dressing or bathing. Along with severe fatigue that doesn't get better with rest, CFS symptoms can include problems with sleep, memory and concentrating, pain, dizziness, sore throat, and tender lymph nodes.
Diagnosing ME/CFS
There is not a specific test for ME/CFS, so it's diagnosed based on your symptoms and by ruling out other conditions that could be causing your symptoms. The GP will ask about your symptoms and medical history. You may also have blood and urine tests.
Doctors might refer patients to see a specialist, like a neurologist, rheumatologist, or a sleep specialist, to check for other conditions that can cause similar symptoms. These specialists might find other conditions that could be treated. Patients can have other conditions and still have ME/CFS.
It's also common for people who have ME/CFS to also have other health problems at the same time, such as sleep disorders, irritable bowel syndrome or fibromyalgia.
Anyone can get ME/CFS. While most common in people between 40 and 60 years old, the illness affects children, adolescents, and adults of all ages. Among adults, women are affected more often than men. White persons are diagnosed more than other races and ethnicities.
CFS is often misdiagnosed as depression.
Fatigue Panel is a blood test which may be used to evaluate causes of chronic fatigue and assess health risk factors associated with fatigue. There is no single test to diagnose chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).
It's unlikely that you'll need an MRI for a diagnosis of fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome unless your particular set of symptoms is similar to that of a neurological illness that requires evaluation with an MRI. You may also need an MRI at some point to diagnose an injury or a different illness.
Fatigue Is Not Being Lazy
Yet chronic fatigue — which is due to underlying medical reasons — has this way of making those it impacts appear lazy. Fatigue robs us of our ability to think clearly and of our motivation. We are not being lazy when we can't get out of bed, go to work, run errands, or play with our children.
We all go through periods of low energy. Even a week of feeling more tired than usual is not uncommon. Yet most people can tell when their fatigue feels like something more serious. If that's the case, or your fatigue gets worse or lasts longer than a week or two, it's time to see your doctor.
Mental laziness and lack of motivation can also be caused by one simple problem: not having enough exercise and nutrients in the body. One should consider eating healthy food high in protein, such as green, leafy vegetables, and fatty fish. Research also suggests eating berries and walnuts and drinking coffee or tea.