CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME

Also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) and postviral syndrome, CFS was first recognized as a condition in conventional medical circles in the 1990s. Its symptoms mimic many other illnesses. It has been described as a physical illness brought on by stress. Three times more women than men are affected in the developed world.

Symptoms

• Identifiable fatigue that is present for 50 percent of the time and for at least six months, severely affecting physical and mental functioning.

• Muscular pain, weight fluctuation, and sleep disturbance.

• Possible abnormal temperature regulation, recurrent sore throat, swelling of the lymph glands, and depression.

Causes

 CFS often follows a viral infection of the upper respiratory or digestive tract. It is not known why some people do not recover fully. It may be due to malfunctions of the immune or metabolic system, stress, overwork, overuse of antibiotics, dysfunctional production of the hormone melatonin, the effects on neurotransmitters in the brain of chemicals leaking out of the digestive tract, pollution or toxicity, or even geopathic stress (disruptions in radiation emitted by the Earth).