Fibromyalgia is a challenging condition to diagnose and treat. It causes widespread pain, insomnia, memory problems, depression and fatigue. There are no laboratory tests that can confirm a diagnosis, and some patients can go for years not knowing what is causing their symptoms. In order to help diagnose this condition, your doctor can perform a physical exam, review your history of symptoms and take into consideration any risk factors for fibromyalgia that you may have.
Family History
According to the National Fibromyalgia Association, you may be genetically predisposed to fibromyalgia if your mother or other sibling(s) have it. While much more research is needed, it is believed that if you have this condition, your nervous system is overactive. This makes your muscles chronically tense, causes you to be overly sensitive to lights, sounds and smells and makes it hard to get a good night's sleep. While research is still in its early stages, scientists are currently investigating genes that help control pain responses, sleep cycles, mood and nervous system activity. The goal is to see if all family members who have fibromyalgia have the same malfunction in these genes. The importance of genetic testing is to diagnose and treat this condition early on to help better manage it.
Other Related Diseases or Injuries
There appears to be a link between other medical conditions and the risk of getting fibromyalgia, says the American College of Rheumatology. This includes osteoarthritis, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, infections, restless legs syndrome, sleep apnea or inflammatory bowel disease. While the connection is still not clear, these diseases may act as a trigger and cause the nervous system to become overactive. In addition, the Arthritis Foundation claims that in some cases, having a severe injury, trauma to the body or emotional upset may also trigger the body the develop this condition. Being emotional or depressed does not cause fibromyalgia, and it is not all in your head. However, the chemical imbalances that exist with clinical depression and emotional trauma may contribute to the development of fibromyalgia. This response is even higher if you have a genetic predisposition.
Being Female and Between 30 to 50 Years of Age
The Mayo Clinic claims that for reasons not well understood, women tend to be more prone to fibromyalgia then men. The risk of this condition also increases between the ages of 30 and 50. However, fibromyalgia can occur at any age. If you have risk factors for this disease, it does not mean that you will automatically get fibromyalgia. It just means that you need to talk to your doctor and play an active role in your care. You will both need to be on the lookout for signs and symptoms so you can start treatment as early as possible should you develop it.
