What is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?
Chronic Fatigue or ME/CFS is a complex multi-system illness, characterised by debilitating fatigue, body wide pain, and exercise intolerance where there are no bio-medical markers. It’s a spectrum disorder so some individuals are able to function with relative normality, attending work and social activities and at the other end of the spectrum, patients (need a better word – sufferers maybe?) may be completely housebound or bed bound and need additional care.
Why talk about it?
The #millionsmissing campaign – there are millions of people who are affected and because they cannot leave their house, they cannot integrate into society leaving them feeling forgotten and depressed with a complete lack of support. Language around ME/CFS consists of lazyitis, the yuppy flu and this language serves to further segregate those who are experiencing it. There is a huge need for more research and that starts with more awareness.
Who does it effect?
ME/CFS can affect children and adults alike but more commonly, it is seen in mid-teens, early twenties and mid-forties. It seems to affect more women than men – is this because it is less reported in men than it is with women?
Papers/sources for referencing:
Age of onset: https://meassociation.org.uk/about-what-is-mecfs/ and https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12916-014-0167-5
Age of onset and general ME/CFS description: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6370741/
Chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (or encephalopathy): diagnosis and management:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg53/chapter/1-Guidance#diagnosis
What is ME/CFS?:
https://www.cdc.gov/me-cfs/about/index.html
Book: Health Psychology.
Vitamin d deficiency: https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/7/11/e015296