Fibromyalgia
You're tired and feeling totally exhausted the majority of the time and after many tests and visits to your physician you can't seem to find anything specific that is wrong with you. Should this be your situation it may be highly possible that you are suffering from fibromyalgia, a condition that currently affects over 3 million people in the US alone. Among those affected by fibromyalgia 80% plus are women.
Fibromyalgia is characterized by a chronic feeling of fatigue and pain throughout your muscles, ligaments and tendons. The symptoms do vary depending on many conditions that include the weather, stress, time of day and physical activity.
Symptoms of fibromyalgia include:
- Systemic pain throughout your body
- Pain in multiple areas of the body when pressure is applied
- Specific areas of the body that most generally feel pain from pressure include:
- Hips
- Knees
- Back of head
- Upper back
- Neck
- Chest
- Elbows
- Facial tenderness and chronic headaches
- Increased sensitivity to odors, noises, bright lights, touch and changes in weather
- Depression
- Numbness or tingling sensations in the hands and feet
- Difficulty concentrating and mood changes
- Irritable bladder
- Dry eyes, skin and mouth
- Painful menstrual periods
- Dizziness
- Sensation of swollen hands and feet, chest pain or pelvic pain
Potential causes of Fibromyalgia
Brain chemistry
It has been found that in many individuals suffering from fibromyalgia also experience changes in their body's regulation of neurotransmitters that are linked to depression, migraines and gastrointestinal distress and pain, stress and anxiety, as well as depression.
Sleep disorders
Individuals suffering from fibromyalgia tend to wake up tired and feeling like they haven't received any rest, even if they seemed to get a good nights sleep. Studies tend to demonstrate that this problem actually is the result of a sleep disorder called "alpha wave interrupted sleep pattern", a condition in which deep sleep is frequently interrupted by bursts of brain activity and restlessness similar to being awake, which indicates that individuals with fibromyalgia don't achieve the restorative stage 4 sleep required for the body to refresh and rebuild.
Sleep disturbances
Researchers speculate that disturbed sleep patterns may be a cause rather than only a symptom of fibromyalgia. Some studies have shown abnormally low levels of somatomedin C in the blood of people with fibromyalgia, which is a hormone that appears to be essential for the body to rebuild itself and is typically only secreted only during stage 4 sleep.
Injury or trauma in upper spinal region
An injury or trauma, particularly in the upper spinal region, may trigger the development of fibromyalgia in some people. This type of injury may affect the central nervous system and it might be a trigger for
fibromyalgia.
Infection
Researchers have also identified situations in which they believe that a viral or bacterial infection might have triggered fibromyalgia.
Abnormalities of the autonomic nervous system
The autonomic or sympathetic nervous system releases norepinephrine and influences the release of epinephrine from the adrenal gland. This body system controls those autonomic body functions such as heart rate, blood vessel contraction, sweating, salivary flow and intestinal movements. There have been a few studies looking at the responses of this body system in people with fibromyalgia.
Risk factors
Sex
Women by far experience the effects of fibromyalgia much more frequently than men.
Age
Fibromyalgia seems to occur more frequently in people between the ages of 20 and 60. But it can occur in children.
Disturbed sleep patterns
As mentioned earlier it isn't clear as to whether sleeping difficulties are a cause or a result of fibromyalgia, but people with sleep disorders such as nighttime muscle spasms in the legs, restless legs syndrome or sleep apnea do tend to experience fibromyalgia more frequently than those who don't experience these symptoms.
Family history
You may be more likely to develop fibromyalgia if a relative also has the condition.
See your doctor if
You are experiencing a generalized aching or widespread pain lasting several months that is accompanied by fatigue. Many of the symptoms of fibromyalgia mimic those of other diseases such as low thyroid hormone production (hypothyroidism), polymyalgia rheumatica, neuropathies, systemic lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. Your doctor can help determine if one of these other conditions may be causing your symptoms.
Diagnosing fibromyalgia is difficult because there isn't a single, specific diagnostic laboratory test. In fact, before receiving a diagnosis of fibromyalgia, you may go through several medical tests, such as blood tests and X-rays, only to have the results come back normal. Although these tests may rule out other conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and multiple sclerosis, they can't confirm fibromyalgia.
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