Australian news article: “What causes chronic fatigue? What we know, don’t know and suspect”

[Simone]

Merged thread

Article in The Conversation today, by Dr Mark Guthridge, a senior research fellow at Monash University in Melbourne.

https://theconversation.com/what-causes-chronic-fatigue-what-we-know-dont-know-and-suspect-94395

 

[Andy]

Preview

Around 200,000 people in Australia suffer from a debilitating illness often branded with the unfortunate name of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). I say “unfortunate” because this implies patients are simply tired, run-down, burnt-out or overly stressed.

But myalgic encephalomyelitis, or ME/CFS as it is now more commonly called, is a serious and incapacitating disease that can have a devastating impact on a patient’s life. Symptoms include:

• profound and unexplained fatigue for more than six months
  
  
• memory or concentration difficulties
  
  
• muscle pain (myalgia) and weakness
  
  
• joint pain
  
  
• sleep disturbances
  
  
• flu-like symptoms
  
  
• light headedness, palpitations, breathlessness
  
  
• headaches
  
  
• heightened sensitivity to light and sound
  
  
• tender lymph nodes, sore throats
  
  
• new sensitivities to food, medicines or chemicals.
  

Thought it was ironic that they use "chronic fatigue" in the title but the subtitle states "The term chronic fatigue underemphasises the full scope of symptoms sufferers face."

 

[Trish]

I think it's an excellent article. The title seems a pity, but maybe it might attract more readers to read out of curiosity - after all, everyone gets 'fatigue'.

 

[Dial It In]

Finally an academic mainstream article pushing the need for biomedical research

(FYI, The Conversation is the most widely viewed media site in Australia & inevitably will be worldwide)

https://theconversation.com/what-causes-chronic-fatigue-what-we-know-dont-know-and-suspect-94395

 

[chrisb]

Let us hope that the editor, rather than the author, was responsible for the title.

 

[Dx Revision Watch]

Let us hope that the editor, rather than the author, was responsible for the title.

Not a good choice of stock photo, either.

Four pieces of jewelery, carefully manicured fingernails, freshly washed hair, clean sheets, young female...

 

[adambeyoncelowe]

Let us hope that the editor, rather than the author, was responsible for the title.

Almost certainly.

 

[Esther12]

I was a bit disappointed in the PACE section, which is what interested me the most. Also a shame that the Conversation chose to link to their not very good piece on the SMILE trail rather than Edwards' piece on the PACE tribunal ruling: https://theconversation.com/tribunal-was-right-to-order-release-of-chronic-fatigue-trial-data-64255

There were good things about it, but I may have gone in with expectations too high.

 

[Kalliope]

Sciencealert has picked it up:
Here's What Science Knows So Far on The Causes of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

ETA: They have over 9 million followers on Facebook



..and 68 K followers on Twitter