Imagine feeling fine when you wake up one morning, but by the end of the day, you feel like you’ve got a bad case of the flu. The fatigue is too severe to feel like you can function properly, let alone get out of bed the next day. You need help just to get to the bathroom. Every muscle and joint in your body hurts, you have a piercing headache and your throat is scratchy. You find it difficult to think clearly and, despite feeling exhausted, you may find that your sleep is restless and you feel less than refreshed when you wake in the morning. You think it’s the flu and tomorrow will be better, but then tomorrow comes and it’s not better and six weeks later there is little improvement, and then six months later, you’re still exhausted. What’s going on?
The above description is a typical scenario when Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS) strikes.
CFIDS, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) and by other names, is a complex and debilitating chronic illness that affects the brain and multiple body systems. CFIDS is characterized by incapacitating fatigue (experienced as profound exhaustion and extremely poor stamina) and problems with concentration and short-term memory.
Symptoms
CFIDS is also accompanied by flu-like symptoms such as pain in the joints and muscles, disrupted sleep or feeling unrefreshed after sleep, tender lymph nodes, sore throat and headache. A distinctive characteristic of the illness is post-exertional malaise, a worsening of symptoms following physical or mental exertion occurring within 12-48 hours of the exertion and requiring an extended recovery period.
The symptoms of CFIDS are highly variable and fluctuate in severity, complicating treatment and the ill person’s ability to cope with the illness. Most symptoms are invisible, which makes it difficult for others to understand the vast array of debilitating symptoms with which people with the illness must contend.
Other symptoms frequently reported by people with CFIDS include difficulty comprehending or retaining what is read, inability to calculate numbers and impairment of speech and/or reasoning. Visual disturbances (blurring, sensitivity to light, eye pain, need for frequent prescription changes); psychological problems (depression, irritability, anxiety, panic attacks, personality changes, mood swings); chills and night sweats; shortness of breath; dizziness and balance problems are additional symptoms.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of CFIDS is a time-consuming and difficult process which is generally arrived at by excluding other illnesses with similar symptoms and comparing a patient's symptoms with the 1994 International case definition. As yet, there is no indicator or diagnostic test that can clearly identify the disorder. Overlapping symptoms can occur with several diseases, such as fibromyalgia, and multiple chemical sensitivities.
Social Impacts of CFIDS
CFIDS not only affects one’s physical status but also one’s social, family and work life. Often just keeping up with day to day responsibilities can be very difficult. A person with CFIDS needs to rely heavily on one’s social network for support. For people living on their own, taking the garbage out or maintaining normal household duties becomes cumbersome. Individuals with CFIDS are often unable to maintain normal work responsibilities as some days are worse than others and the person is unable to get out of bed. Exercise may be difficult and maintaining an active social life may be hampered by fatigue and exhaustion. Some common feelings for the person with CFIDS include guilt, helplessness, confusion, dependence, anger, sadness and worthlessness as they struggle to cope.
Treatment with Complementary Therapies
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a Chinese therapy practiced for more than 2,000 years. It involves the insertion of tiny, hair-thin, smooth-pointed needles into specific body points called meridians. There are 12 meridians, each believed to be associated with a vital body function or organ. It is thought that by stimulating these points, a person's "vital energy," or "qi," can be balanced. Acupuncture is used to relieve pain, prevent nausea and to treat substance abuse as well as several other conditions. Side effects are minimal but there is a risk of infection from improperly sterilized needles. To help decrease this risk, it is important to find a certified practitioner. There are standards and certifications in place for acupuncture practitioners.
Acupressure & Therapeutic Massage
Acupressure massage such as Shiatsu or Hannya Massge, is similar to acupuncture in that it focuses on the body's 12 meridians, or pathways to vital energy. It is based on traditional Chinese medicine that applies manual pressure to specific points along the pathways to relieve pain, stress, mild depression, and other disorders. The theory of therapeutic massage is that the body's soft tissues respond to touch, an essential element of health and well-being. According to Massage Magazine, massage was the first health procedure used to relieve pain, because the first thing that people do is touch and rub a painful area. Massage is defined as rubbing soft tissues of the body to alleviate pain and stress. Proponents of this therapy also report that massage eases the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.
Naturopathy and Herbal Medicine
Naturopaths believe in the natural healing capacity of a person and adhere to the concept of harmonious functioning of the entire being: physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, environmental and social. Naturopathic practitioners treat people with a combination of many methods, which can include nutrition, plant-based (botanical) medicine, physical medicine, exercise, massage, counseling, biofeedback, and hypnotherapy.
Homeopathy utilizes highly individualized treatment plans that consist of natural pharmaceuticals, derived from plants, minerals and animals. These substances are chosen to create the same symptoms a person is experiencing so that the body can build its own defenses and heal itself. Supporters of this therapy cite the use of immunizations in traditional medicine as a type of homeopathic therapy, because the body develops antibodies (builds a defense system) to protect it from disease after the vaccine is given.
Meditation
Meditation is used to ease stress, chronic pain and anxiety by giving the mind and body a break from the pressures that accompany life. The mind and body are calmed by staying in the present moment. This is done by focusing on breathing, an image or a sound. It takes practice to acquire the capability to do this, but once this is accomplished, proponents of this therapy state that it is quite successful. Meditation can take several forms and it is important that a person choose the one that is right for them. Learn more about this therapeutic technique by finding an instructor, reading a book, listening to audiotapes or searching the Internet for additional information.
Sources: The CFIDS Association of America
