Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Treatments
Frequently, you'll hear people say, "There are no chronic fatigue syndrome treatments." What they meant to say is that there are no definitive cures. However, patients who have been living with the full chronic fatigue syndrome symptoms list for years say they've discovered ways to get their lives back from this debilitating tiredness syndrome. Often it involves prioritizing what makes them happy, agreeing to do a little bit less and getting adequate rest -- even if it doesn't feel like adequate rest.
Since the root cause is so mysterious, many CFS treatments are pharmaceutical in nature so the symptoms can be treated. Sleep aids, muscle relaxants and stimulants are given to help with sleep disorders and fatigue. Antidepressants can help with depression, sleep difficulty and pain. Analgesics and anticonvulsants may be given for pain. Since the discovery of the chronic fatigue retrovirus, antiviral medications are being developed and tested. The problem with drug treatment is that everyone responds differently. Some people may tolerate a medication well, while others may suffer side effects and adverse reactions.
Exercise is sometimes recommended in chronic fatigue syndrome treatments but may also be discouraged by doctors. One of the afflictions on the chronic fatigue syndrome symptoms list is "post-exertion malaise," which means that patients experience a worsening of symptoms or a relapse following physical exertion. Despite fatigue, specialists recommend a new definition of exercise. "Perhaps a better word would be movement," says Dr. Charles Lapp. Instead, he says, try deep breathing exercises, muscle stretches and short intervals. Five, three minute sessions are often recommended, compared to one fifteen minute session. For those who can tolerate it, low impact water exercise is a good option.
Chronic fatigue syndrome treatments often include some element of mental health as well. Living with any kind of chronic illness can be mentally and emotionally upsetting. Serious conditions consume the mind, breeding anxiety and depression. A psychiatrist or psychologist can help individuals learn to cope better. Support groups can answer health questions and offer new ways of dealing. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy aims at ending destructive thought processes and teaching more positive, productive ways of thinking. All treatments are worth considering for this mysterious condition.
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Chronic Fatigue And Fibromyalgia
Severe fibromyalgia and CF sufferers say that fatigue is the most debilitating part of their condition because they feel hyper-sensitive to pain and never fully alert, which can affect all of their day-to-day activities. Therefore, CF and fibromyalgia treatments usually begin with sleep management, says Mary Rose, a clinical psychologist and behavioral sleep specialist at Houston's Baylor College of Medicine. "We know from research that sleep improves mood, pain, and in general how people feel during the day," she explains.
Latest Causes of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
CDC research also points to trouble in the hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis in the brain as one of the potential causes of chronic fatigue syndrome. Physical or emotional stress activates the HPA axis that increases the release of the stress hormone cortisol, dopamine and seratonin, which has a host of effects on the immune system. Doctors who treat patients for fibromyalgia say the same sort of hormonal abnormalities play a part in the mysterious condition they treat too.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Causes
What are the root chronic fatigue syndrome causes? For years, researchers struggled to find any sort of rhyme or reason behind this mysterious condition. Their patients were sleeping full eight hour nights, but still woke up feeling foggy and confused. They struggled to make new short-term memories and find the right words when speaking.