Life today takes a toll even on the fittest. Keeping pace with today’s rapidly changing world and fighting competition that exists in almost every facet of life can become a major cause for stress, which manifests itself in the form of constant fatigue. For ages now, these symptoms of persistent fatigue has been dismissed as something ‘in one’s head’, but now this is being increasingly recognised as a medical condition called chronic fatigue syndrome.
Chronic fatigue syndrome, sometimes called CFS, is a condition that makes one feel so tired that they can’t do all of their normal, daily activities. There are other symptoms too, but being very tired for at least 6 months is the main one. Although many people improve in a year or two and don’t have a relapse, most battle severe fatigue for years after diagnosis as well.
Causes
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is not very well understood yet, but an estimated 150,000 people suffer from it in the UK alone, most of them being women. Causes for CFS still remain unknown and a lot of researchers are looking for answers that can translate into a potential cure for the condition. However, it is believed that CFS is generally caused due a combination of physical and psychological factors. A few theories have been put forth that may spell possible causes such as viral infections or glandular fever, which weaken the immune system, inherited genetic susceptibility (it’s more common in some families), depression and mental exhaustion etc.
Symptoms
- Extreme tiredness, or fatigue
- Continuous exhaustion
- Troubled sleep, or one may wake up feeling tired or not rested
- Lack of clarity of thought, inability to concentrate, and to remember things
- Headaches, muscle and joint pain, a sore throat, and tender glands in the neck or armpits
- Flaring up of symptoms after a mental or physical activity that used to be no problem earlier
Depression is common with CFS, and it can make one’s other symptoms worse. Taking antidepressants in such cases may help relieve symptoms.
The ‘Stress’ Connection
It is a known fact that CFS is an aftermath of a build up of stress. The cascading events that unfold in one’s body as a response to stress are the answers to how stress causes CFS.
Step 1: The Alarm System Sounds Off
The body’s first contact with stress results in a state of ‘flight or fight’, i.e., the adrenal glands releases stress hormones to ward off impacting stress that can be anything involving work-life challenges.
Step 2: Resistance Response To Stress
This is a state in which the body is resisting stress that may have stayed on for days together. While the body is continuing to resists stress, it does so at the expense of the adrenal glands over-pumping the stress hormones.
Step 3: Exhaustion of Adrenal System
When stress becomes a part of one’s daily living, the adrenal glands are coaxed to over work and keep releasing stress hormones to help body combat stressors. However, the body cannot endlessly cope with stress and the function of adrenal glands declines in a couple of years. At this stage, people normally start to experience Fibromyalgia, aches/pains, backache, muscle tension, severely suppressed immune system and muscle weakness. Many experience sluggishness and weight gain, all symptoms of CFS.
Step 4: System Collapse
After a couple of years of over-pumping stress hormones daily, the adrenal glands become totally exhausted. People at this stage have a high chance of cardiovascular collapse, nervous breakdown, and even death. Too much of cortisol, or stress hormone, circulating in the blood causes biochemical changes at the tissue level that can eventually damage blood vessels and cause heart failure.
Treatment Strategies
There is no cure as such for this condition and therefore goals of treatment involve easing symptoms of CFS. Early diagnosis, balancing rest with activity, medication to control certain symptoms, and self-help measures can all help to varying degrees. A good relationship with one’s doctor is important, because working together to find a combination of medicines and behaviour changes will help patients get better.
Battling fatigue might seem difficult, and being chronically fatigued can seem very challenging. However, appropriate advice and treatment can successfully manage the condition and put life back on a pedestal.
Written by Snigdha Taduri