Chronic fatigue syndrome

2000/01/01 Agirre, Jabier - Medikua eta OEEko kidea Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Osasuna

Surely in some times of the year we will all be tired and maintain morale on earth: a monotonous life and a little boring, a physical and emotional stress, a mood also low, and let's not say that our immune defenses are also decreasing; all this can cause fatigue or atony, which is usually ephemeral and disappears after a break. But if this fatigue becomes durable and it is difficult to find justification in size, we can be faced with a situation that in recent years is increasingly mentioned among doctors: chronic fatigue syndrome.

A few years ago, doctors said that this type of syndrome was possible. However, today, and despite the fact that contrary opinions still persist, many other doctors say that there is a situation that we could call this, although if we begin to realize the doubts and doubts remain numerous and varied.

There are still doubts

If we begin to define what is fatigue syndrome, or chronic fatigue syndrome, says Juan Martínez de Letona, professor at the Autonomous University of Madrid and head of the Internal Medicine Service of the prestigious hospital Puerta de Hierro, things are not so clear. In this general picture there is discomfort, tiredness, headache, feverish feeling, muscle aches, insomnia and even psychic problems.

These symptoms are rather diffuse and unspecific, becoming representative of any disease. That is why it is very difficult to reach a diagnosis. In many cases the doctor will recommend to the patient an unimportant respite. But the patient lives the situation in a very different way: their activities will gradually be limited, ending in a great depression, mixing with guilt, insecurity and low self-esteem (often a rather dangerous cocktail is formed, carefully).The evolution of the disease varies from patient to patient. In this way, sometimes only the symptoms mentioned above appear, and the patient advances in some way, with tirrikis. In other patients, however, in addition to the previous ones and throughout the months, new symptoms appear: abdominal pain, loss of memory or concentration, intolerance to alcohol, chest pain, diarrhea, chronic cough, vertigo, eyes and dry mouth, with great difficulties to surrender at work or in any social activity.

All patients, however, agree in one detail: fatigue is very deep, does not improve with rest and worsens after a physical or mental effort. According to experts, in order to assert that we are effectively facing chronic fatigue syndrome, the situation must be maintained for more than six months.

As with other diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, in women this situation is observed more, especially between 30-40 years. Doctor Martínez de Letona indicates a possible profile of those affected: “would be those people who normally want to be recognized as sick.” The manifestations are often hypochondriac, and although once or again they seek an organic reason in their disease, to the point of confusing the doctor and almost localizing, the main cause of the disease is psychosomatic, that is, physical symptoms appear on a psychological basis.

As in most psychosomatic disorders, the ultimate cause is not known. It has often been wanted to associate with some viruses, but at the moment there is no evidence to show that link. Inadequate intake, vitamin scarcity or environmental pollution have been mentioned as one of the possible causes of this strange and unknown disturbance.

And since many patients do not find a suitable solution in the medical consultation, they try to find remedies that allow them to lead a more or less normal life, here and there. They add the consumption of stimulating drinks (coffee or tea) or take antidepressants, some medicine that takes them away or vitamin complexes. However, these remedies do not work, once the effect of the ingested product has passed (and this happens in a few hours), since it is in the same initial situation, but with the risk of falling into dependence or addiction to these substances

.No antidote at the moment

There is no doubt that in the coming decades the knowledge of psychosomatic diseases will be greatly improved, since more and more people are affected by this type of disease. Perhaps then you can know why chronic fatigue syndrome appears, and to the surprise of many this disease may have some organic reason, not just psychological.

Meanwhile, those affected should settle for a “bespoke solution” that allows them to lead a more normal life.