What is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?
How do you know if you have CFS?
Diagnosis of CFS is complicated by the fact that fatigue is the single most commonly reported complaint but fatigue is a feature of countless other conditions as well. Because of this, a doctor's first goal is to rule out other illnesses.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has established certain criteria for diagnosing CFS:
1. Fatigue that is persistent, relapsing or debilitating; does not improve with bed rest; and reduces or impairs average daily activity level by more than 50 percent for a period of at least 6 months. Patient has no previous history of fatigue.
2. The patient has 4 or more of the following symptoms, which must have persisted or recurred during 6 or more consecutive months and predated the fatigue:
Short-term memory or concentration problems
Sore throat
Multi-joint pain without joint swelling or redness
Muscle pain
Headaches of a new type, pattern or severity
Non-refreshing sleep
Post-exertional malaise lasting more than 24 hours
In addition, a number of minor symptoms may also appear:
Poor sleep
Achiness
Brain fog
Increased thirst
Bowel disorders
Recurrent infections
Exhausting after minimal exertion
The CDC criteria should not be thought of as final guidelines in diagnosing CFS. Research has shown the people with disabling fatigue who fit the CFS criteria have the same immunologic changes and responses to treatment as those who don't fit the criteria.
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