8 Symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in Women
Most women today multitask in a major way. They generally run their homes and their husband’s and children’s lives with the precision of an army general, while holding down a job, which helps with the family finances, and still manage to cook, clean, shop and be a wife and mother, too. It is, therefore, not surprising that there are times when women just feel that we cannot go on at such a frenetic pace any longer, because of simple tiredness or extreme fatigue.
Unfortunately, for many women world wide, the option of lying down and putting their feet up while all their daily chores are done by someone else is simply a dream which does not come true. Ladies, therefore, continue to do are their motherly and wifely duties, without taking into consideration all those little aches and pains which seem to crop up the more tired we become. As they continue to pay little attention to what their bodies are trying to tell them, the list of damages which they are causing becomes longer and longer – until they are forced to take a step back, slow down and pay a visit to our doctor. The simplest diagnosis they will be given, after all serious illnesses and disorders have been ruled out, is that of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome – which is not simple at all.
The following 8 symptoms, over and above being really physically and mentally exhausted, are what the medical profession look for when making a diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome:
1. Loss of memory and/or a loss of concentration.
2. Enlarged or swollen lymph glands in the armpits and/or neck.
3. A sore throat.
4. Severe headaches which are unusual in their severity or pattern.
5. Painful joints which do not display the typical redness and/or swelling of arthritis.
6. Sore muscles.
7. Waking up from sleep still feeling very tired.
8. Extreme exhaustion from minor physical or mental activity which lasts for more than twenty four hours.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is treated in various ways to try to alleviate the symptoms and give the sufferer some relief. The most commonly prescribed medication to treat this syndrome is anti-depressant drugs. This is because many women who suffer from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome often become very depressed and feel that they are not able to cope. These drugs also calm the sufferer and creating a ‘feel good’ situation which, together with also helping the patient to sleep, is seen as the best treatment option.
Sleeping pills are also often prescribed, because the medical thinking is that a good night’s sleep will go a long way to making the patient feel better; and thus in a better position to cope with her extreme fatigue.
Special stretching exercises designed for patients by a physiotherapist should be done each day, starting off with just a few minutes exertion and gradually building up the amount of time and the type of exercises patients are able to do, until they recover their strength.