At least at one point in our lives, most of us might have experienced extreme pangs of fatigue and tiredness without being able to understand the reason why we are feeling so. For some people, this fatigue rears its ugly head and turns chronic, coupled with cognitive impairment, sleep disturbances, pain and flu-like symptoms. Turns out, there is an actual medical term for inexplicable prolonged fatigue, by the name of myalgic encephalomyelitis or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CSF).
It is important for women to be aware of this syndrome, as has been established recently by a study titled DecodeME, which revealed that CFS affects women much more severely than it affects men.
Understanding Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
CSF is a complex condition that affects millions of individuals worldwide, and it is famously known that this debilitating illness affects women four times more often than men.
Also Read: 7 Possible Health Causes Of Constant Fatigue
CSF is a chronic disease that can ruin a person’s quality of life and make them incapable of handling basic activities of everyday life. Anybody who is suffering from CSF will experience persistently extreme tiredness which is not alleviated by rest and becomes worse after physical or mental exertion. Some of the most common symptoms of CSF are:
- Sensitivity to light
- Headache
- Tender lymph nodes
- Fatigue and weakness
- Muscle and joint pain
- Inability to concentrate
- Insomnia
- Forgetfulness
- Mood swings
- Confusion
- Low-grade fever
- Depression
Living with CSF becomes increasingly challenging as there are no diagnostic tests for CSF yet. Additionally, the cause of CSF is still unknown which makes treatment challenging. Current treatment options focus on managing symptoms and boosting the patient’s well-being. One way to diagnose CSF is by looking at the nature of the exhaustion displayed by the patient. If there is a dramatic worsening of symptoms after the most minor physical effort, then the patient is most likely suffering from CSF.
Results of the study
The Decode ME study conducted by researchers from The University Of Edinburgh concluded that female participants exhibited prolonged periods of fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, and physical limitations, in comparison to the male participants.
The UK-based research is the largest-ever study on CSF and included more than 17,000 participants. The researchers studied a diverse group of participants for several years and revealed the gender-specific nature of the disease. The study proved that women living with CSF have more symptoms and subsequent health issues.
Also Read: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome And Its Impact On Women
66.7% of the female participants reported at least one active co-occurring condition, as compared to 52.7% of the male participants. The most common active condition occurring as a consequence of CSF was irritable bowel syndrome (41.3 per cent), followed by clinical depression (32.4 per cent), fibromyalgia (29.5 per cent), anaemia (14.1 per cent) and hypothyroidism (12.8 per cent).
Furthermore, women reported exhibiting on average 42 symptoms of CSF, whereas men reported 36. Brain fog was the most common symptom reported among the participants, followed by poor quality of sleep, and muscle pain.
Concluding the study, the experts highlighted that being a woman and having CFS for more than 10 years are risk factors for severe illness, with symptoms increasing in intensity as a person ages.
Although the research could not pinpoint the exact reason why CSF manifests much more brutally in women than men, researchers hypothesised that factors such as hormonal differences, genes, and differences in immune responses could be the main culprits. Hence, the researchers also encouraged further research into the gender-specific nature of CSF to enable better diagnoses and treatments for both men and women.
If you suspect that you might be suffering from CSF, then the best course of action for you is to consult a general physician immediately. Secondly, you must arm yourself with awareness as knowledge is power. The more you know about CSF the easier it will be for you to get an accurate diagnosis, seek appropriate treatment, and follow the best lifestyle practices to manage this chronic illness.