Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is a disease that has extreme fatigue as its main, but not only, symptom. CFS has been misdiagnosed and ignored over the years, but most doctors today agree that CFS is a real disease, according to the Mayo Clinic. A 2009 study from the Whittemore Peterson Institute reported in Science describes a possible link between a retrovirus and CFS. To be diagnosed with CFS a person must have specific symptoms described by the CDC, although other symptoms may be present.
Fatigue
Fatigue is the first and most important symptom for diagnosis of CFS; the disease can't be diagnosed without this symptom. Because fatigue is symptomatic of many diseases including depression, the fatigue of CFS must be unrelieved by rest, present for six months or more without any other known cause and interferes with daily activity.
Symptoms Essential for Diagnosis
To be diagnosed with CFS, patients must have at least four of the following eight symptoms that must have been present for six months and cannot have been present before the fatigue started, according to CDC guidelines. These include short-term memory loss and inability to concentrate, sore throat, tender lymph nodes in the neck and armpit, muscle pain, joint pain that moves from joint to joint without swelling or redness, headaches different from those previously experienced, persistence of fatigue even after a good night's sleep, and inability to function for more than 24 hours after exercise that normally wouldn't cause severe fatigue
Other Symptoms
Some symptoms may occur in some but not all people with CFS; these symptoms aren't essential for diagnosis of CFS but are common symptoms in many patients. Gastrointestinal symptoms include abdominal pain, bloating, nausea or diarrhea. Some people may experience fainting spells, dizziness, a tingling sensation, irregular heartbeat or balance problems. Others may develop food or chemical allergies or sensitivities, or psychological problems like anxiety or depression. Chronic cough, dry eyes or mouth and chest pain can also occur, along with weight gain or loss, chills and night sweats, jaw pain or visual disturbances.
