CFS Impacts Daily Life
Most people who suffer from CFS have mild or moderate symptoms but some are prone to more severe symptoms which can heavily impact their daily life. This condition is also known as systemic exertion intolerance disease (SEID) or myalgia encephalomyelitis (ME). The symptoms of CFS are similar to those of most common viral infections although they last longer and can be associated with muscle aches, headaches and extreme fatigue. They come on within a few hours or days and may last six months or more.
Main symptoms include:
- A new onset of unexplained persistent fatigue or tiredness, unrelated to exertion and not relieved by bed rest, and causes a significant reduction in previous activity levels.
- Fatigue that is severe enough to restrict activity.
Other symptoms include four or more of the following and lasting 6 months or longer:
- Post exertional fatigue, where physical or metal exertions bring on extreme, prolonged exhaustion.
- Un-refreshing sleep
- Impaired memory or concentration
- Headaches, different from previous headaches in quality, severity, or pattern
- Joint pain, often moving from joint to joint, without joint swelling or redness
- Lymph node tenderness in neck and armpits
- Mild fever (101 F or less)
- Muscle aches (myalgias)
- Muscle weakness, all over or multiple locations, not explained by any known disorder
- Sore throat