What causes CFS?
No one knows for sure what causes CFS. Many people with CFS say it started after an infection, such as a cold or stomach bug. It also can follow a bout of infectious mononucleosis (mono), the “kissing disease†that drains your energy. Some people with CFS say it started after a time of great stress, such as the loss of a loved one or major surgery.
It can be hard to figure out if a person has CFS because extreme tiredness is a common symptom of many illnesses. Also, some medical treatments, such as chemotherapy, can cause extreme tiredness.
What are the signs of CFS?
The signs of CFS can come and go or they can stay with a person. At first, you may feel like you have the flu. As well as extreme tiredness and weakness, CFS symptoms include:
forgetting things or having a hard time focusing
feeling tired even after sleeping
muscle pain or aches
pain or aches in joints without swelling or redness
feeling discomfort or "out-of-sorts" for more than 24 hours after being active
headaches of a new type, pattern, or strength
tender lymph nodes in the neck or under the arm
sore throat
Many people with CFS report other symptoms too, ranging from a constant cough to feelings of depression. If you think you may have CFS, talk to your doctor.
How common is CFS? Who gets it?
Experts think as many as half a million Americans have a CFS-like condition. The exact number of people with CFS is not known. CFS can affect people of all ages, racial/ethnic backgrounds, and economic statuses.
More women than men are diagnosed with CFS. But, it is not known for sure that this illness affects more women than men. It may be that women talk to their doctors more often about things like tiredness and pain.
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