What Is The Difference Between Chronic Fatigue Syndrome And Fibromyalgia
What Is The Difference Between Chronic Fatigue Syndrome And Fibromyalgia. Figuring out the difference between Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia is not always an easy task.
Researchers and the medical community are still baffled by both of these conditions. Some researchers believe that the two diseases are completely separate while others believe that they are separate diseases but with very similar kinds of symptoms.
Still other researchers believe that they are different versions of the same kind of disease. Regardless of what the case is, people who suffer from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or Fibromyalgia find that neither disorder is easy to live with on a day-to-day basis.
To make the situation even more complicated, many people who have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia (FM) also suffer from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). It is estimated that approximately 70 percent of people who suffer from FM also suffer from CFS and in turn the opposite is also the case.
A researcher of Fibromyalgia by the name of Muhammad B. Yunus has created the term Central Sensitivity Syndromes (CSS) to include a large group of illnesses that have overlapping features. What these conditions have in common is that they cause sensitivity of the central nervous system. Under the category of CSS Yunus includes Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, migraine headaches, TMJ, restless legs syndrome, myofascial pain syndrome, chemical sensitivities and a variety of other health problems.
The one thing all of these problems have in common is that they share many of the same symptoms that overlap each other. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia share many of the same symptoms. Thee symptoms include excessive fatigue, headaches, muscle pain, joint pain, memory loss, depression and anxiety, numbness, generalized weakness in the body, forgetfulness, and problems with concentrating on tasks.
Chronic Fatigue Fast Facts
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome And Our Youth
The disease commonly affects more females than males, affects all racial and ethnic nationalities, is more prevalent in the 20 to 40 age group, but can strike our youth. Scientists have been studying Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) to see if there is any correlation between the disease and certain metabolic disorders, and or risk factors such as age, sex, prior illnesses, environment, and stress.
When children exhibit the symptoms of CFS, their physicians will want to do a complete physical...
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However there are other similarities as well. In both disorders there is a limited flow of blood in both the midbrain as well as the cerebral cortex. Stage four of sleep is often interrupted for patients suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and/or Fibromyalgia and there is a serious suppression of the hypothalamic pituitary axis as well as decreased levels of the growth hormone. Those who suffer from CFS or Fibromyalgia experience reduced levels of normal serotonin in the brain.
Both Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia are believed to have a genetic link. There are differences between thee diseases as well. The most significant difference between the two is that the predominant symptom of Fibromyalgia is pain in the muscles and joints and indeed sometimes all over the body whereas the number one symptom of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is extreme, prolonged and unexplained fatigue.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Facts
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Acupuncture has proved to be useful for many Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patients. This is because Acupuncture looks at the human body in its entirety. Acupuncture helps to control the discomfort levels for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patients, and can also be very good at decreasing the chances of bacterial and viral infections. |
Those who suffer from Fibromyalgia have elevated levels of Substance P in their bodies while CFS sufferers do not. Substance P is a neurotransmitter that sends signals regarding pain to the brain. Those who suffer from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome have elevated RNaseL, which is a cellular antiviral enzyme whereas those who suffer from Fibromyalgia do not have this. It is believed that CFS is brought on by an infectious illness or by a type of flu whereas Fibromyalgia is believed to come about as a result of one form or another of trauma to the body, such as an accident, surgery or an injury.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Advances
09/05/2008
5-bags a day: man says popcorn made him sick (KREM.com Spokane)
SPOKANE VALLEY -- Asthma, chronic cough, emphysema, fatigue, severe lung impairment and shortness of breath are just some of the health difficulties a man says he has experienced after eating a certain brand of microwave popcorn.
5-bags a day: man says popcorn made him sick (KREM.com Spokane)
09/05/2008
Heart patients benefit from staying active: study (Reuters via Yahoo! News)
Any level of leisure time physical activity appears to curb the risk of death among men and women with coronary heart disease, researchers report.
Heart patients benefit from staying active: study (Reuters via Yahoo! News)
09/05/2008
DNA Test to Measure Hepatitis B Virus Levels Approved (Kansas City InfoZine)
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first nucleic acid test for hepatitis B virus (HBV) that measures the amount of viral DNA (viral load) in a patient's blood. Assessing a patient's viral load provides health care professionals with a highly sensitive method for gauging the progress of antiviral therapy in patients with chronic HBV infections.
DNA Test to Measure Hepatitis B Virus Levels Approved (Kansas City InfoZine)
09/05/2008
Keith Jarrett: Standards I/II: Tokyo 1985 and 1986 (All About Jazz)
It's been a big year for piano icon Keith Jarrett and his longstanding Standards Trio. First, in October, 2007, ECM released My Foolish Heart , a two-CD set documenting a particularly notable 2001 appearance at the Montreux Jazz Festival, one that proved the trio is as relevant today as when first it emerged in 1983, out of a lengthy session responsible for three albums— Changes (1983), ...
Keith Jarrett: Standards I/II: Tokyo 1985 and 1986 (All About Jazz)
09/05/2008
DNA Test to Measure Hepatitis B Virus Levels Approved (Kansas City InfoZine)
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first nucleic acid test for hepatitis B virus (HBV) that measures the amount of viral DNA (viral load) in a patient's blood. Assessing a patient's viral load provides health care professionals with a highly sensitive method for gauging the progress of antiviral therapy in patients with chronic HBV infections.
DNA Test to Measure Hepatitis B Virus Levels Approved (Kansas City InfoZine)
09/05/2008
NIH launches unique effort to advance study of urologic chronic pelvic pain disorders (EurekAlert!)
( NIH/National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases ) The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, announces awards to eight academic research centers to conduct collaborative studies of urologic chronic pelvic pain disorders by looking for clues outside the bladder and prostate. The total research investment ...
NIH launches unique effort to advance study of urologic chronic pelvic pain disorders (EurekAlert!)
09/05/2008
NIH Launches Unique Effort to Advance Study of Urologic Chronic Pelvic Pain Disorders (National Institutes of Health)
The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), announces awards to eight academic research centers to conduct collaborative studies of urologic chronic pelvic pain disorders by looking for clues outside the bladder and prostate.
NIH Launches Unique Effort to Advance Study of Urologic Chronic Pelvic Pain Disorders (National Institutes of Health)
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