• Headache, joints, muscles, and throat; poor concentration and unrefreshing sleep, the symptoms
• It is extremely incapacitating, is not covered by the labour laws and the most doctors have difficulty diagnosing autism: Oscar Prospero, academic of the Faculty of Medicine of the UNAM
Physical and mental fatigue; pain in head, joints, muscles, and throat; swollen lymph nodes and sensitive to the touch; loss of concentration and sleep is not refreshing or restful, are the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), said Oscar Prospero Garcia, academic, of the Faculty of Medicine (FM) of the UNAM.
This rare condition, also called myalgic encephalomyelitis, is extremely disabling and can be confused with diseases of the century: depression, anxiety, and distress.
It is estimated that in Latin america between two and three percent of the population over 40 years suffers from CFS; in the United States, the figure is between two and three million, he said.
It is more common in women, with a ratio of two for every man; it appears around 40 years of age, but teens are not exempt, and in many patients it presents as a comorbidity, that is to say, accompanied by one or more diseases.
“Often CFS patients are anxious and apprehensive, so that is likely to suffer also depression”.
If you are suspected of having the disease, it is important to go to the doctor, because if a diagnosis is made incomplete or wrong, the doctors will not be able to treat it and its effects will last indefinitely, warned the university.
Symptoms
Who suffers from CFS, he feels exhausted, as if he lived in a cloud, and practically do not leave home. Although it is extremely disabling, is not listed as a condition in the labour laws, because in principle the majority of family doctors have difficulties to diagnose it, he said.
“On the other hand, when the doctor tells the patient that does not have anything, lowers the self-esteem and in consequence, the clinical picture is acute”.
The researcher of the Department of Physiology indicated that the CFS can be confused with rheumatoid arthritis, since those affected complain of joint pain; infection that is causing discomfort in the muscles; and cancer, as one of its symptoms is the inflammation of the lymph nodes.
“Usually, the syndrome is inflamed cervical lymph nodes, the chest up, so that there is sore throat, as if I had an infection”.
There may also be symptoms similar to those of a wrong heart, such as chest pain. “If it is the middle part of the chest, this is not a heart attack, but if it is the region precordial (over the heart) and the pain travels to the left arm, should be treated as a potential heart attack,” he said.
In the same way, should be ruled out the sleep disorder, a neurological that could cause damage or fatigue; and motor disorder, such as Parkinson's disease.
According to some criteria, symptoms must remain for at least six months for the diagnosis to be positive, but some specialists, such as Prospero Garcia, they argue that it is a term too long.
“If it presents one or more symptoms, must be addressed immediately and undergo studies; four weeks are enough to have a diagnosis, because it is possible that after six months, already has consequences, because the SFC has a great impact on a personal, family and social”.
Prospero Garcia considered that it is likely that a genetic component is involved, but has not been investigated thoroughly because it is virtually impossible to create animal models to study the disease.
Treatment
When the chronic fatigue syndrome is diagnosed correctly, the treatment is relatively simple. Should include cognitive-behavioral therapy, as it helps the person realize how to are living your grief; “you can change the thoughts of anxious patients, depressed, or with another psychiatric disorder”.
It is also advisable to a little bit of exercise. Although he suffers from fatigue and muscle and joint pain, it is important to encourage them to walk, because along with the cognitive-behavioral therapy, mild exercise is a determining factor in his improvement. “If you refer to a comorbidity with depression, they may receive pharmacological treatment”.
The academic of the FM warned that when a person with CFS remains in the house, the condition is gaining in strength; in addition, trigger the levels of the hormone cortisol, which is released in response to stress.
