The term "chronic fatigue syndrome" can be misleading and is hugely inaccurate, as chronic fatigue is only one symptom of this unpleasant disease. Therefore we will use the term 'myalgic encephalomyelitis' instead.

ME is a mysterious, exhausting illness, one when first recognised was dismissed as overdramatized debility or, of psychological origin as a result of a highly pressurized lifestyle. Nothing could be further from the truth. ME is a very real disease, a disease that causes severe anguish to sufferers when its existence is denied, which is not surprising that desperate patients spend large amounts of money and a great deal of precious, wasted energy searching for the elusive miracle cure.

Despite ongoing research, the cause of myalgic encephalomyelitis is not yet clear. However, the symptoms usually develop following a failure to fully recover from a certain virus infection. The initial infection, which at first may not seem severe, most often includes that of respiratory or gastrointestinal illness - influenza, bronchitis, sore throats, hepatitis or jaundice. Most people recover completely from these illnesses, however there is a small percentage who, following the illness are left feeling extremely tired and depressed. Symptoms so severe that even the slightest exertion may result in such muscle weakness, that the patient is forced to take several days rest to recover.

ME can strike just about anyone at anytime - an illness that knows no racial, social, economic or geographic boundaries! However, figures do suggest that it is more common in those in their late twenties or early thirties - active, successful people - those frequently pressurised by modern, fast-paced lifestyles. This is probably what lead the media into dubbing it "yuppie flu".

Another factor common to ME patients is the number of allergic reactions - twice as many skin reactions as people without the disease. We don't know why this is so, but this information may indicate that the patient may be overly sensitive to certain agents. Such extra sensitivity may predispose the patients to infections or other types of abnormal reactions to foreign substances which may just account for the illness.

Symptoms:

The severity of symptoms and the debilitation caused by the disease are often underestimated by attending doctors, family and friends.

Extreme exhaustion if the most characteristic symptom, although a number of other symptoms often accompany the disease:

• Muscle weakness - Muscle weakness can be so great that the patient battles to support his own body - even a short trip to the bathroom may render him immobile for the rest of the day!
• Depression - Patients feel generally unwell and often experience worrying mental symptoms such as a loss of memory or the inability to concentrate. Psychological effects, such as mood swings and depression are also common. One should keep in mind though, that depression is a reaction to, and in most cases not the cause of the disease.
• Recurrent headaches
• Difficult, poorly articulated speech (dysarthria)
• Tinkling or ringing heard in one or both ears (tinnitus) - often increasing with ones level of tiredness.
• Extreme sensitivity to movement
• Persistent itch skin rashes
• Chest pains
• Localised sweating
• Fever and shivering fits
  Nausea and stomach complaints
• Insomnia
• Swollen glands
• Strong body odour
• Sore throat

Treatment:
Seeing that neither physical examinations not laboratory tests produce findings specifically related to ME, treatment involves relieving the symptoms. Psychiatric counselling is often helpful in treating the depression that frequently accompanies the syndrome. Symptoms may last for years, whilst others seem to clear within a few months. Some patients may also be offered periods of relief from their symptoms - an improvement that could eventually lead to full recovery. Other sufferers will degenerate as they become progressively worse - some never reaching full recovery, however the syndrome usually suddenly resolves itself.

Presently, there is no cure for ME, and until the exact cause is known, complete, effective treatment is unlikely. Patients can however, take comfort in knowing that ME is not a life-threatening illness, and that there are some forms of treatment, even if these only offer symptomatic relief. In addition to medical treatment, both the family and the patient need to be counselled and supported through the more difficult times of the illness.



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