Conditions That Cause Similar Symptoms To CFS: Part One

Many doctors are baffled by chronic fatigue syndrome because many of its symptoms very closely resemble the symptoms of other diseases. Most often chronic fatigue syndrome is not diagnosed until the patient has suffered from prolonged and unexplained fatigue for over six months or longer, however a battery of tests often need to be conducted before a diagnosis of CFS is decided upon. Some people have severe cases of chronic fatigue syndrome while others suffer from milder forms of it. It goes without saying that if chronic fatigue syndrome can be detected early then treatment can begin right away. It is unfortunate that only ten percent of individual who suffer from CFS has actually had it diagnosed.

Feelings of temporarily being fatigued are common if a woman is pregnant; or if a person is suffering from depression, any number of infections not to mention when a person is under severe stress. In most cases getting plenty of rest will improve these conditions and if adequate rest helps then CFS can quickly and easily be ruled out as the culprit.

Infectious mononucleosis is characterized by both extreme tiredness and swollen glands, both of which are common in CFS sufferers. This disease is most often found in children, teenagers and young adults and if the fatigue continues long after the disease has passed then blood tests may be necessary to find out if the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is present in the body and was to blame for the mononucleosis in the first place. Be aware CFS and EBV are often mutually exclusive and researchers have never found a direct link between the two disorders.

Autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus can sometimes be confused with CFS. Autoimmunity means that an individual’s immune system is attacking the tissues of the body. Autoimmune diseases are more prevalent in women than they are in men and these kinds of diseases tend to evolve very slowly over time.

Sometimes Lyme disease (which is also known as post-Lyme syndrome) is similar in its symptoms to CFS, especially in areas where outbreaks of Lyme disease are common. The two diseases are similar, however one particular study found that people who suffer from CFS tend to have more symptoms that are similar to the flu whereas those suffering from Lyme disease develop more problems with motor control as well as mental functioning.

Depression is designated as one symptom of CFS. However it is important to be aware of the fact that CFS is completely different from clinical depression as well as severe psychiatric disorders such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

Some of the major symptoms of depression include being depressed on a daily basis; significantly gaining or losing weight; sleeping too much or having problems getting to sleep; a feeling of restlessness; a lack of energy; feelings of guilt or worthlessness; problems concentrating and/or making decision and thoughts of suicide.