Chronic fatigue syndrome is a flu-like condition that can drain your energy and sometimes last for years. People previously healthy and full of energy make experience a variety of symptoms.
People recover from flu in days or weeks. But with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) recovery is rare. The symptoms are similar to flu, and a tiredness that never improves no matter how much sleep a person gets. It can worsen with mental or physical exercise. Sometimes the symptoms come and go with no regular pattern.
People who have this disease are often prevented from working and wind up on welfare. It is however, a treatable illness, although formerly not recognized as a medical condition. The Center for Disease Control studies have determines between one and four million Americans have this condition.
CFS begins in several ways. It can just gradually increase in severity, brought on by no noted cause. Or sometimes a person may have the condition after a viral infection, cold or severe mental stress. It affects many more women than men.
The conventional approach to handling CFS is psychological counseling (It’s all in your head type approach), rehabilitation with physical therapy and exercise. Other professionals like a sleep therapist or dietitian can also be called in. The patient usually has to learn to just live with it once all else has failed to relieve the misery of CFS.
However, there are ways to handle this disease that can actually bring about results. You don’t have to learn to live with it. The pain, fatigue and depression are not all in your head. They have an underlying cause and a medical doctor trained in this discipline can help you identify and treat CFS. Your condition can be reversed and your energy and vitality restored.
If you suffer from fibromyalgia or CFS, your diet can make your condition worse or better. Eating a lot of refined carbohydrates will make the condition worse, whereas eating slow-burning carbs (rich in fiber) will provide your body with more energy. If you consume a lot of saturated fats and refined vegetable oils, the pain will worsen. If you consume foods high in omega-3 fatty acids (like fish and flaxseed oil) your pain will lessen. Diet is very important.
Get an evaluation from a doctor for food allergies. These are often overlooked but are a frequent cause of fatigue and pain.
Many patients with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue suffer from depression. They also tend to have low levels of the neuro-transmitter serotonin, which plays a crucial role in regulating mood. In addition to contributing to depression, low levels of serotonin can cause the sensation of pain to be greatly heightened. Natural supplements can boost seratonin levels, improve mood and relieve pain. St. John’s wort, SAMe, and 5-HTP are some of the natural remedies that are much safer than Prozac or other prescription anti-depressants and do not have the harmful side effects of pharmaceuticals. They are backed by solid research and positive experiences of patients.
Find out more about Dr. Anju Mathur and Bioidentical Hormone Replacement at Angel Longevity Medical Center. Find out more about Chronic Fatigue and Anti-Aging