What you need to know about Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is more common among young people aged 20-45 years. This age group is more prone to stress due to excessive workload: study, work, household chores, irregular schedule. Therefore, most often the development of CFS is associated with lifestyle.

But doctors have other hypotheses. And one of them is viral. For example, some experts suggest that the herpes virus is capable of provoking the onset of symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Whatever the origin of this disease, changing daily habits is of particular importance in the treatment of CFS.

How to suspect the presence of the disease?

It is almost impossible to determine at what point we encountered chronic fatigue syndrome. Symptoms develop gradually, and we often attribute everything to ordinary overwork. Triggers, as a rule, are monotonous activity, an infection, a long stay in a depressed state.

A previously able-bodied person with high social activity suddenly notices the appearance of unpleasant symptoms, including:

1. Fatigue that does not go away even after sleep and rest;
2. Memory impairment, concentration of attention;
3. Decreased performance;
4. Sleep disorders: difficulty falling asleep, frequent nocturnal awakenings, daytime sleepiness;
5. Irritability, anxiety, apathy, depression;
6. Pain in the muscles;
7. Frequent colds;
8. Temperature increase without other manifestations of SARS;
9. Sweats at night;
10. Swollen lymph nodes without connection with any disease;
11. Headache;
12. Weight loss.

If the symptoms persist for a long time, you should seek the help of a specialist. Lack of proper treatment can lead to irreversible consequences. When the body is worn out, all systems suffer, especially the immune, nervous and endocrine systems.

Who is at risk?

It is believed that people are more likely to get sick if they:

• live or work in environmentally unfavorable conditions;
• little rest;
• are constantly exposed to stress and worries in the family or at work;
• have a hereditary predisposition;
• prefer spicy, salty, sweet foods (do not eat right);
• move little;
• have recently undergone general anesthesia or radiation exposure;
• addicted to gadgets and especially to social networks.

How to get out of this state?

Alas, there is no magic pill that instantly relieves the manifestations of chronic fatigue syndrome. To recover, you need to take a number of lifestyle measures. What to do?

• Observe the regime of work and rest. In the evenings, take a relaxing bath, ventilate the room, do not do anything active. Forget gadgets two hours before bed. Blue light screens disrupt the synthesis of melatonin (sleep hormone), the work of circadian rhythms and sleep phases.
• Reduce the time you use gadgets and social networks. Try to follow this recommendation – and you will see how much time you will have for useful activities, communication with loved ones, rest. Mood and sleep will improve, and the brain will work more actively.

  In social networks, people watch the lives of celebrities, bloggers – in fact, strangers, whose life is just a “picture”. Nevertheless, a person unconsciously begins to compare himself with characters from the Internet not in his favor. Dissatisfaction with one’s life is growing, anxiety is growing. How to deal with it:

  — set the daily timing on the phone;

  – subscribe to the most useful content for yourself (for example, professional or educational), so that time on the Internet passes with benefit.
• Move more. Movement contributes to the production of the “hormone of joy” serotonin. You do not have the task of becoming a champion in some sport. You can swim, dance, run, or just walk, the main thing is that the load is feasible and brings only positive emotions.

• Diversify your food. To maintain a healthy psycho-emotional state, activity of the brain and its endurance, add sources to the menu:

  – Omega-3 fatty acids (fatty fish, flaxseed oil, chia seeds, seafood, walnuts, Brussels sprouts);

  – lecithin (liver, soybeans, olive oil, caviar, fatty fish, sunflower oil, cottage cheese, green peas, lettuce);

  – B vitamins (egg yolk, meat, fish, dairy products, cereals, legumes, cabbage, bananas).

• Meditate and do breathing practices. This will allow you to focus on yourself and distract from external stimuli. Breathing techniques improve blood circulation and metabolism.
• Activate your brain. Many exercises have been developed to improve memory and attention. Their use will help increase productivity. Try new tastes in food, learn words, look at pictures and memorize details, listen to two different audio books at the same time.
• Psychotherapy. In severe cases, you should consult a doctor for treatment. It can be cognitive-behavioral therapy, group classes, auto-training and other techniques.
• Stick to the treatment regimen prescribed by your doctor. In addition to general recommendations, do not forget to adhere to the prescribed therapy. The body may need additional support in the form of vitamins, nutritional supplements, and medications. Often, injections of serotonin are prescribed to eliminate unpleasant symptoms. Soon this drug will appear on the pharmaceutical market in the form of tablets and patches. But self-medication is absolutely not worth it – only a doctor can prescribe therapy for you, taking into account all the features of your condition.

Take care of yourself and try to find time to take care of your health.