Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Symptoms
Exhaustion and Insomnia Are Not the Only Indicators of CFS
Though tiredness and unrefreshing sleep are the hallmark signs of CFS, common complaints such as sore throat and headaches are also symptoms.
Doctors and other medical professionals often have a hard time diagnosing Chronic Faitgue Syndrome (CFS) because many of the symptoms that patients, more commonly women, may present with are run-of-the-mill complaints among other healthy people. There are, however, eight hallmark symptoms that are indicative of CFS. A patient must present with four or more of these symptoms for six months or longer to receive a diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
Primary Symptoms of CFS
- Unrefreshing sleep
- Post-exertional malaise
- Poor memory and/or concentration
- Joint pain without swelling or redness
- Unexplained muscle aches or pain
- Headaches of a new type, pattern, or strength
- Lymph node tenderness in the neck or under the arm
- Sore throat
It is important to understand what makes these common complaints different than those of healthy people who do not have CFS. A person with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome may sleep for eight or more hours but still wake up feeling like they need another eight hours of sleep. The fatigue she feels is not the same type of tiredness experienced by a healthy person. It is difficult, if not impossible, for her to explain to friends, family, or even her doctors just how much her exhaustion weighs on her. She may find herself exhausted to the point of incapacitation for more than a day after physical or mental exertion that a healthy person would recover from with a few hours of rest or a good night's sleep.
She may have pain in her muscles and joints that has no discernable physical cause, one way in which CFS can be said to mirror Fibromyalgia, another misunderstood illness. Though tired all the time, she may find she has trouble both falling asleep and staying asleep at night. She may find that she is non-responsive to both prescription and over-the-counter sleep aids.
Secondary Symptoms of CFS
There are a number of other symptoms that are common among CFS patients, yet they are not required to receive a diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
- Fever
- Dizziness
- Nausea or abdominal pain
- Chronic cough
- Pain in the chest, ear, or jaw
- Dry mouth
- Irregular heartbeat
- Limbs that feel "heavy"
- Mood disorders, such as anxiety or depression
- Shortness of breath
- Visual disturbances
- Unexplained weight change
- Morning stiffness
Separately, any of these symptoms might present an annoyance to the person experiencing them. Together, it is easy to see how Chronic Fatigue Syndrome can become extremely debilitating, possibly leaving a person bedridden for days at a time.
Many patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome find themselves unable to work or socialize the way they did before they got sick, overcome by symptoms that many people assume are harmless or easy to live with; it is very frustrating when a person is told that "everyone gets tired" when she is unable to function within the constraints of her crushing exhaustion, countless nights with no sleep, multiple body aches and pains, and perpetual dizziness.
This article is not a substitute for medical advice. Please consult with your physician. For more information about Chronic Fatigue Syndrome symptoms, visit womenshealth.gov or read What Is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?
