Chronic Fatigue: Syndrome or Symptom?

Fatigue…exhaustion…we’ve all been there, right? As a matter of fact, some of us reading this are still there and have yet to find a way out of it.

Fatigue is defined as an overwhelming sustained sense of tiredness and decreased capacity for physical and mental work at the usual level (what one could refer to as ‘I’m pooped’). By definition, syndrome is defined as a group of signs and symptoms that occur together and characterize a particular abnormality or condition ⁽¹⁾. So when chronic fatigue syndrome is given as a diagnosis it is really just a collection of symptoms that are trying to bring attention to imbalances in your body’s systems.

The plague or cycle of ongoing and relentless fatigue is what is referred to as chronic fatigue. To help give a better understanding, let’s put it this way…long periods of persistent tiredness leads to fatigue, long periods of persistent fatigue leads to exhaustion, and long periods of persistent exhaustion leads to burnout which can ignite a perpetual of cycle of never ending fatigue if there is no intervention and it is not addressed.

What does chronic fatigue symptoms look like? (This is not an extensive list)

Headaches (new or worsening)
Muscle aches and pain
Brain fog and/or difficulty concentrating
Mood changes (anxiety, depression, etc)
Insomnia and/or sleep problems
Digestive Issues (bloating, etc)
Tender lymph nodes (neck, armpits)
Joint (without swelling and redness)
Low immunity and recurrent infections
Post exertional malaise
Chills and night sweats
Allergies and increased sensitivities

If you are wondering where to begin to help address chronic fatigue as a symptom or syndrome then the first step would be to get to the bottom of what is causing or has led to the chronic fatigue. Due to the fact that chronic fatigue develops over time, it may be difficult to identify the trigger(s) at play by yourself so it is important to work with a skilled practitioner to help identify factors contributing to your chronic fatigue. This may include testing to help identify any imbalances in hormones or neurotransmitters, deficiencies in nutrients, hidden stealth pathogens or infections, or even simply identifying emotional stagnations that may be keeping you from healing and recharging your health.

Contact Balanced Healing to get in touch with our skilled practitioners to begin working on getting to the root cause of your chronic fatigue.

Elena Alisma, ND

References

1.) https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/syndrome

2.) https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/fatigue

3.) https://www.cdc.gov/me-cfs/index.html