Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, otherwise known as CFS, is a condition that is thought to affect nearly a million Americans. Like Fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome is more often seen in women between the ages of 25 to 45, and more than not misdiagnosed. The disease itself is not well understood, which goes to affect the common accounts of misdiagnosis and under-treatment.

Symptoms of CFS

One of the reasons that CFS is so often missed by physicians because many of the symptoms are hard to pinpoint. Symptoms include exhaustion and trouble sleeping, the same symptoms related to common forms of stress. However, if your exhaustion and lack of sleep are paired with any of the following and last for more than 6 months, CFS could be the root cause.

According to WebMD, chronic fatigue symptoms include a “devastating tiredness or exhaustion,” fatigue that interferes with your work of play, and any of the following:

• Forgetfulness, memory loss, confusion, or difficulty concentrating.
• Sore throat.
• A fever.
• Tender lymph nodes in the neck or armpits.
• Muscle pain.
• Joint pain without redness or swelling.
• Headaches that are different from other headaches you have had in the past.
• Unrefreshing sleep (waking up feeling tired or not rested).
• Feeling unwell after exercise or other physical activities.

These symptoms are incredibly similar to symptoms of many other chronic conditions that women live with. The key with chronic fatigue syndrome is the amount of time that you’ve experienced these symptoms. According to WebMD, to be diagnosed with CFS, you must have fatigue and at least four of the symptoms listed above. At least four of your symptoms must have started at the same time as or after your fatigue began, and they must have lasted for at least 6 months.

Another one of the more common symptoms of CFS is depression, which can wreak havoc on the symptoms that you already have. The problem again is that depression is associated with many other chronic conditions as well. However, if you are battling depression, whether it’s associated with CFS or not, having that depression treated can help ease your CFS symptoms.

Symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome can appear incredibly similar to symptoms of mononucleosis, Lyme disease, lupus, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, primary sleep disorders, severe obesity and major depressive disorders, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Your best course of action is to speak to a pain physician immediately if you are experiencing any of the above symptoms in order to get the most accurate diagnosis.

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