Chronic fatigue symptoms, or CFS, is characterized by extreme tiredness that cannot be relieved by resting or cannot be explained by any underlying medical condition. In the United States, the illness affects an estimated 836,000 to 2.5 million people – about 90% of them have not been diagnosed.
Chronic fatigue can significantly affect the day-to-day function of individuals who have it. At least one in four people who suffer from CFS become bed- or house-bound for long periods of time, keeping them from attending school or securing employment during their illness.
Fortunately, there are facilities that offer treatment for chronic fatigue within Salt Lake City if you are in Utah. Most people, especially children and young adults, get better over time after treatment. Many of them even make a full recovery. To this day, the cause of chronic fatigue is still unknown, but some people are more likely to suffer from it than others. Here are the known risk factors of CFS:
Potential Triggers
Among people who have chronic fatigue, the syndrome often began following a viral infection like glandular fever or bacterial infection like pneumonia. To many, even after the flu-like symptoms of an infection have subsided, they felt like their body never recovered. However, CFS is not an effect of infections. There is evidence that suggests that illness is an autoimmune condition. When a person has chronic fatigue, their immune system is at work for long periods of time, attacking particular tissues in the body.
Age, Sex, Race
CFS is also more common among women than men. A woman is diagnosed twice as often than men, but that may be because women are more likely to report their symptoms to a general practitioner. Although the illness can strike anyone, regardless of age, chronic fatigue is also more commonly experienced by people who are 15 years old and older. Federal authorities in the United States estimate that one to eight of every 1,000 Americans above the age of 18 have CFS. This is more common among African-Americans and Latintos, but less common among Asian-Americans.
Childhood Trauma
Previous studies have linked childhood trauma to a higher risk of CFS. In one study, over 100 individuals, 43 of whom had been diagnosed with CFS, took a test that assessed for the five types of childhood trauma: emotional, physical, and sexual abuse and emotional and physical neglect. For each type of childhood trauma, the risk of CFS increased by 77%. Those who had been diagnosed with CFS had a higher overall trauma score. While not all CFS sufferers had experienced childhood trauma, those who did also have worse symptoms.
Another study involving 237 adults, half of whom had CFS, also reported a history of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse during childhood. The study found that those who had a history of childhood trauma are six times more likely to develop chronic fatigue syndrome later in life.
Genes andOther Conditions
CFS is not contagious, but it can be passed on from parent to child. According to several studies, the genes responsible for activating the immune system are more likely to be turned on among those who have chronic fatigue syndrome, even if there is no threat present. Several health conditions are also associated with CFS. People with major depression, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel symptoms, interstitial cystitis, chronic tension headache have also reported experiencing CFS.
Chronic fatigue disorder is still pretty much a mystery, but it can be combated. After diagnosis, your medical practitioner might refer you to medication to decrease symptoms or cognitive behavioral therapy to help you overcome the illness.
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