Chronic Fatigue
Adolescents and CFS
CFS is hard on anyone, but for a teenager it’s incredibly difficult to deal with. I know I just celebrated my 20th birthday and I’ve been sick for 11 years. I went through a little bit of the “normal” teenage rebellion, drinking, smoking, etc., but the majority of my rebellion was done in ways only an ill teenager could rebel. I would argue for hours with my mother over taking medicine, even pain killers.
Possible Causes of CFS
The cause or causes of CFS remain unknown, despite a vigorous search. While a single cause for CFS may yet be identified, another possibility is that CFS represents a common endpoint of disease resulting from multiple precipitating causes. Conditions that have been proposed to trigger the development of CFS include virus infection or other transient traumatic conditions, stress, and toxins.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
For years, most physicians dismissed chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) as an all-in-the-head problem. And most victims of CFS suffered the indignity of being told that they were hypochondriacs, and that they merely imagined their three main symptoms: (1) disabling fatigue; (2) persistent muscle and joint pain; and (3) severe problems of brain fog, irritability and depression.
The Demographics of CFS
Several studies have helped to establish the distribution and frequency of occurrence of CFS. While no single study can be considered definitive, each approach has inherent strengths and weaknesses- epidemiologic studies have greatly improved our understanding of how common the disease is, which individuals are the most susceptible to developing it, whether it can be transmitted to others, and how the illness typically progresses in individuals.
The CFS Case Definition
Scientific studies on EBV sparked new interest in the syndrome among medical researchers. They realized they needed a standard way to describe CFS so they could more easily compare research results. In the late 1980s, CDC brought together a group of CFS experts to tackle this problem.
Possible Causes of CFS
Learning how to manage your fatigue, in spite of your symptoms, may help you improve the level at which you can function as well as your quality of life. A rehabilitation medicine specialist can evaluate you and teach you how to plan activities to take advantage of times when you usually feel better.
