Long ignored and poorly understood, chronic fatigue syndrome has the particularity of being difficult to diagnose. Some healthcare professionals are even skeptical about its physiological existence. Several theories clash to explain the fleeting and chronic nature of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).
The first theory suggests that a number of infectious agents and chemicals are considered harmful by the immune system. It counterattacks without being able to overcome these threats, hindered by a possibly genetic origin failure. When the immune system remains in active mode, as if fighting a continuous viral infection, the body becomes exhausted. This results in chronic fatigue. The second theory hypothesizes that CFS is caused by viruses that infect certain parts of the brain without being detectable by standard diagnostic means. New identification protocols are being developed to further explore this concept. The third theory considers that this syndrome is related to a muscle disease and that the fatigue felt results from this muscular dysfunction.
Diagnosing Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)
No test can establish this diagnosis. Doctors must check a number of criteria to judge whether or not the patient is suffering from CFS. Severe fatigue for more than 6 months, not due to continuous effort, not resolved by rest, and impairing the proper functioning of the body, preventing the patient from leading a normal life. This severe fatigue is generally associated with the presence of at least 4 of the following symptoms:
- Memory or concentration problems,
- Sore throat, painful glands in the neck or armpits,
- Unexplained muscle pain,
- Pain that moves from one joint to another, without redness or swelling,
- Headaches, migraines, non-restorative sleep.
- Treating Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
As in many chronic diseases, there is no standard treatment to cure CFS. By using nutrition therapy and herbal medicine, it is possible to act on the symptoms inherent to this condition, including anxiety, headaches, pain, and sleep problems, without the side effects of allopathic treatments.
- Magnesium to act on stress, muscle pain, anxiety.
- Omega-3 and vitamin E for their anti-inflammatory properties and for emotional balance.
- Plants with sedative properties such as Hawthorn, Passionflower, Valerian. Meadowsweet and Blackcurrant are useful in case of inflammatory flare-ups in the joints, Nettle is an anti-asthenic that helps fight fatigue.