Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

The Women's Health Institute of Arizona offers comprehensive treatment for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome integrating Naturopathic medicine, cutting edge medical treatments and a nutritional program. Chronic fatigue syndrome refers to severe, continued tiredness that is not relieved by rest and is not directly caused by other medical conditions.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

The exact cause of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is unknown. Some theories suggest CFS may be due to:

• Epstein-Barr virus or human herpes virus-6 (HHV-6); however, no specific virus has been identified as the cause
• Inflammation in the nervous system, because of a faulty immune system response

The following may also play a role in the development of CFS:

• Age
• Previous illnesses
• Stress
• Genetics
• Environmental factors

CFS most commonly occurs in women ages 30 to 50.

Symptoms

Symptoms of CFS are similar to those of the flu and other common viral infections, and include muscle aches, headache, and extreme fatigue. However, symptoms of CFS last for 6 months or more.

The main symptom of CFS is extreme tiredness (fatigue), which is:

• New
• Lasts at least 6 months
• Not relieved by bed rest
• Severe enough to keep you from participating in certain activities

Other symptoms include:

• Feeling extremely tired for more than 24 hours after exercise that would normally be considered easy
• Feeling unrefreshed after sleeping for a proper amount of time
• Forgetfulness
• Concentration problems
• Confusion
• Joint pain but no swelling or redness
• Headaches that differ from those you have had in the past
• Irritability
• Mild fever (101 degrees F or less)
• Muscle aches
• Muscle weakness, all over or multiple locations, not explained by any known disorder
• Sore throat
• Sore lymph nodes in the neck or under the arms

An Integrated treatment is probably the most effective long term treatment of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome integrated with naturopathic therapies and traditional medical therapies and a nutritional program. Relaxation and stress-reduction techniques can help manage chronic pain and fatigue.