Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is not a disease as such, but a characteristic and complex array of symptoms that may mimic other illnesses. The symptoms of CFS may include aching muscles and joints, anxiety, depression, difficulty concentrating, poor memory, fever, headaches, low blood pressure, intestinal problems and pain, irritability, environmental sensitivities, jaundice, loss of appetite, mood swings, muscle spasms, recurrent upper respiratory tract infections, nasal congestion, candidiasis, sensitivity to light and heat, sleep disturbances, night sweats, sore throat, swollen glands (lymph nodes) – and most of all, extreme and often disabling fatigue.

CFS is often difficult to diagnose. The symptoms of this syndrome resemble those of flu and other viral infections, so it is often mistaken for other disorders. It is often misdiagnosed as hypochondria, psychosomatic illness, or depression because routine medical tests do not detect any problems. The syndrome is three times more prevalent in women than in men, and primarily affects young adults between the ages of twenty and fifty. The cause or causes of chronic fatigue syndrome are not well understood. Some experts believe it is linked to infection with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and/or cytomegalovirus (CMV), members of the herpesvirus family that also cause mononucleosis and retinal and gastrointestinal infections. Other proposed causes of chronic fatigue syndrome include anemia, arthritis, chronic mercury poisoning from amalgam dental fillings, hypoglycemia, hypotension, infections with the fungus Candida albicans, and sleep problems.