Fatigue is a common presenting symptom in primary care, and negatively affects work performance, family life, and social relationships. Many people believe fatigue and tiredness are synonymous, but the fact is fatigue is more than just being tired or sleepy. People suffering from fatigue feel so drained that their exhaustion interrupts their daily life. Fatigue has no definite etiology, many conditions and medications can cause overwhelming tiredness and fatigue. In addition, an unhealthy diet, inactivity, exhaustion, or too much physical activity can also lead to fatigue.1,2 Poor sleep or irregular sleep cycles’ particularly when sleep disturbances occur for a long time, can also lead to fatigue. Data and scientific researchers recommend adults get 7–8 hours of sleep each night. According to some research, however, around 1 in 3 people in the United States say that they do not get enough sleep, which eventually can increase the burden of fatigue, statistically.1-3
As the symptoms of fatigue are very vague, the clinical evaluation and diagnosis require the consideration of a variety of distinct features such as
Fatigue has dimensions of effect and tolerability. In chronic illness, it is essentially helpful to consider the mood of the individual, physical conditioning, course of predictable treatment consequences, postural hypotension, and the well-being of caretakers.2,3 Much to the reader’s interest, the differential diagnosis of fatigue involves lifestyle issues, physical conditions, mental disorders, and treatment side effects. Broadly, fatigue can be classified as secondary to other physiologic or chronic medical conditions.1,2 However, physical and mental fatigue are different, but they are often inter-associated. Repetitive physical exhaustion can lead to mental fatigue with time.3 Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a chronic disease that potentially affects about two million Americans. This complicated disorder is characterized by extreme fatigue that lasts for at least six months and that can't be fully explained by an underlying medical condition. The cause of chronic fatigue syndrome is unknown, although there are many theories — ranging from viral infections to psychological stress. Some experts believe chronic fatigue syndrome might be triggered by a combination of factors. CFS can occur at any age and does affect both males and females, however, it most commonly affects young to middle-aged adults. Sex also plays an important role in CFS, as women are two to four times more likely to be diagnosed with CFS than men. Other factors that may increase your risk for CFS include genetic predisposition, allergies, stress, and environmental factors.5,6 Symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome vary from individual to individual, and the severity of symptoms can differ from time to time.
This condition gets worse as it tends to remain undiagnosed for years secondary to inadequate medical teaching on the subject, provider bias, as well as confusion about diagnosis and treatment of the disease.3,4 One may need a variety of medical tests to rule out other health problems that have similar symptoms. Treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome primarily focuses on improving symptoms. This condition is also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME). Sometimes it's abbreviated as ME/CFS. Recently the term proposed is systemic exertional intolerance disease (SEID).4,5 Possible complications of chronic fatigue syndrome include:
CFS is a very challenging condition to diagnose. According to the Institute of Medicine, data 2015, CFS occurs in about 836,000 to 2.5 million Americans. It’s estimated, however, that 84 to 91 percent yet have not received a diagnosis. There are no medical tests to screen for CFS. Ruling out other potential causes of your fatigue is a key part of the diagnosis process. Some conditions with symptoms that resemble those of CFS include the following:
That’s the key takeaway from a fresh look at patients who continue to struggle with severe fatigue, poor sleep, brain fog, muscle aches, and pains long after their initial -- and often mild -- COVID infection has otherwise resolved. Researchers found that nearly half of the 41 post-COVID patients they studied suffered from the sort of fever, aches, fatigue, and depression symptoms that have long been associated with chronic fatigue, also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome. Participants were also asked to indicate patterns of fatigue over the prior half-year, as well as any joint stiffness, muscle aches, sleep, and concentration problems, and exertion-related issues. In all, 46% had developed post-COVID chronic fatigue, the study found. And that's a troubling finding, Mancini said, given that in many cases, the initial COVID infection was not life-threatening or even all that serious. Scientist conclusion: "Basically anyone who has COVID is at risk."
Dr. Dangs Lab’s different metabolic profiles are unique panels of diagnostic tests to screen for causes of fatigue. This test supplies information about the general health condition of a person. There are multiple profiles that help us to diagnose secondary causes of CFS including a Complete Metabolic Panels (SMAC, Advanced SMAC, Superior SMAC, and CHPs) and Inflammatory Panels (Post - Covid infection) Sample type- Blood & Urine The side effects of certain drugs (antihistamines and alcohol) can also mimic symptoms of CFS. Due to similarities between CFS symptoms and many other conditions as mentioned above, it’s important to not self-diagnose or guess. Each individual has different symptoms and hence each individual may require different types of treatment to manage the disorder and relieve their symptoms. BEWARE, BE AWARE, AND TAKE CARE!
Extreme, debilitating exhaustion is the hallmark of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Those who have CFS sleep poorly and wake unrefreshed. They often have headaches, muscle and joint pain, sore throats, and problems concentrating and remembering things. On a good day, the symptom may be mild and someone with CFS may be able to function at a near-normal level, but on a bad day, they may be unable to get out of bed. Don’t guess. Know! Publisher’s name- Dr. Dangs Lab
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion.