What is the chronic fatigue syndrome and how should it be treated?

How does the chronic fatigue syndrome affect you??

There are some people who suffer from a condition known as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Often, however, people are said to be simply idle and lazy. Many patients are stigmatized and not treated properly by their doctors.

• Chronic fatigue syndrome is often not recognized.
• Affected are classified as lazy and lazy.
• Illness is often poorly treated.
• CFS usually occurs after a strong mental or physical effort.
• Recovery after strenuous activities can take days.
• Name of the disease is misleading.

For some time, physicians have been dealing with the so-called myalgic encephalopathy (ME), which is also known as chronic fatigue syndrome. Researchers are now studying the disease and its effects. They published the results of their study in the medical journal "BMC Psychology".

When people suffer from fatigue and sluggishness for a long time, this may indicate a chronic fatigue syndrome. (Image: Robert Kneschke / fotolia.com)

What causes CFS??

Many of the children and adults affected by chronic fatigue syndrome are considered by society to be lazy and lethargic, and the disease is rarely taken seriously and often treated inadequately by physicians. ME or CFS is a long-lasting, debilitating disease that usually manifests itself as a severe mental or physical strain with severe and overwhelming fatigue, the experts explain. The condition is accompanied by a number of different symptoms such as cognitive disorders, sleep disorders, pain and autonomic disorders due to anomalies in the nervous system and immune system.

Naming of the disease should be changed

The term chronic fatigue syndrome can be misleading and suggests that it is a person with dementia suffering from chronic forgetfulness. Therefore, the naming should be changed. The American Institute of Medicine has recently proposed to change the name to Motion Intolerance. The panel argued that it would at least capture the main feature of the disease and better describe the condition of the disease.

What are the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome??

There are a large number of symptoms of the condition, of which chronic fatigue is only one, explain the scientists. The symptoms can fluctuate from day to day and even from hour to hour and often prevent those affected from planning their activities. The characteristic symptom of the disease is a delayed recovery after already low physical or mental activities. It may take a day or two before the feeling of chronic fatigue sets in. This abnormal energy decrease can then last for hours or even days, explain the physicians.

Many doctors do not recognize the disease

The disease is often neglected in medical education. Many doctors do not know how to diagnose and treat this state of fatigue. Investigations should be carried out to cover other diseases with similar symptoms in order to exclude them from diagnosis. There is still a remarkable amount of misdiagnosis that is often uncovered when specialized physicians are involved in treatment, the researchers explain

Treatment needs to be improved

Apparently, there is currently no cure for CFS. Treatment in the UK depends heavily on cognitive-behavioral therapy and graded exercise therapy, the two treatment methods recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). The NICE guidelines do not provide enough treatment options for healthcare professionals, and many sufferers feel that their condition is only worsening rather than improving, according to the researchers. (As)