Chronic fatigue syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), also referred to as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), is a medical condition characterized by long-term fatigue and other persistent symptoms that limit a person's ability to carry out ordinary daily activities. Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), also referred to as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), is a medical condition characterized by long-term fatigue and other persistent symptoms that limit a person's ability to carry out ordinary daily activities. While the cause is not understood, proposed mechanisms include biological, genetic, infectious, and psychological. Diagnosis is based on a person's symptoms because there is no confirmed diagnostic test. The fatigue in CFS is not due to strenuous ongoing exertion, is not much relieved by rest and is not due to a previous medical condition. Fatigue is a common symptom in many illnesses, but the unexplained fatigue and severity of functional impairment in CFS is comparatively rare. There is no cure, with treatment being symptomatic. No medications or procedures have been approved in the United States. Evidence suggests that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and a gradual increase in activity suited to individual capacity can be beneficial in some cases. In a systematic review of exercise therapy, no evidence of serious adverse effects was found, however data was insufficient to form a conclusion. Some patient support groups have criticized the use of CBT and graded exercise therapy (GET). Tentative evidence supports the use of the medication rintatolimod. This evidence, however, was deemed insufficient to approve sales for CFS treatment in the United States. Estimates of the number of people with the condition vary from 7 to 3,000 per 100,000 adults. About 836,000 to 2.5 million Americans and 250,000 people in the UK have CFS. CFS occurs three times more often in women than in men and most commonly affects people between 40 and 60 years of age. Up to 1 in 50 children are estimated to have CFS, and it is more common in adolescents than younger children. There is agreement that CFS has a negative effect on health, happiness and productivity, but there is also controversy over many aspects of the disorder. Physicians, researchers and patient advocates promote different names and diagnostic criteria, while evidence for proposed causes and treatments is often contradictory or of low quality. The most widely referenced diagnostic criteria and definition of CFS for research and clinical purposes was published in 1994 by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC currently recommends the following criteria for diagnosis: Additionally, one of the following symptoms must be present: Other common symptoms may include: The CDC proposes that persons with symptoms resembling those of CFS consult a physician to rule out several treatable illnesses: Lyme disease, 'sleep disorders, major depressive disorder, alcohol/substance abuse, diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, mononucleosis (mono), lupus, multiple sclerosis (MS), chronic hepatitis and various malignancies.' Medications can also cause side effects that mimic symptoms of CFS. Central sensitization, or increased sensitivity to sensory stimuli such as pain have been observed in CFS. Sensitivity to pain increases post-exertionally, which is opposite to the normal pattern. Gradual or sudden onset of the illness may occur, and studies have mixed results as to which occurs more frequently.:158:181