Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or CFS as it is called is a complex disorder. This is because there is no given cause for this disorder; the only thing that can be assumed is that it is associated with any previous infection. In this syndrome, a person is chronically exhausted and fatigued and this condition lasts for almost six months or more without any given reason. This fatigue is accompanied by cognitive problems such as those with short-term memory and concentration. You may have this syndrome if you meet these criteria - unexplainable chronic fatigue for 6 months or longer along with sore throat, muscle pain, problems with concentration and memory, headaches, and tiredness in spite having had rested for a long period. It affects women more than men and those in their early 20s. CFS can also lead to depression.

Causes
No cause has been associated with chronic fatigue syndrome, but it has been associated with infections that affect the immunity system. A lot of research has been done on the causes, but nothing definitive has been proven. Some people say that CFS could be related to the bacterium chlamydia pneumoniae. Other say it is associated to Epstein-Barr virus, which causes mononucleosis or mono. Candidiasis, bronchitis and even diarrhea have been linked with CFS. Conditions like adrenal insufficiency, malignancy, AIDS, liver disease, kidney disease, thyroid, psychosomatic illnesses cannot be ruled out as the cause of CFS either.

Symptoms
As there is no known cause of CFS, there is no given test for detecting it either. The diagnosis will have to be done on the basis of certain symptoms, these are:

• Fatigue - this is the main symptom of this syndrome. This chronic fatigue is unexplainable and can last for anything between 6 months to 3 years. Normally this fatigue starts in the middle of some infection and goes on even after the illness or infection has been cured.
• Cognitive problems - in case of CFS it is short term memory that gets affected and not long term memory. People often complain about not being able to remember certain words in normal speech. This is a form of verbal dyslexia called dysnomia.
• Postexertional fatigue - this is fatigue that sets on when CFS begins, in this case people get excessively exhausted after doing the most basic activities that they were perfectly capable of doing before.
• Depression - people will start getting depressed with CFS and the inability to perform the most basic tasks at work and at home.
• Other symptoms of CFS are persistent headaches, muscle aches, and sore throats and in some cases even fever.