How do they diagnose chronic fatigue syndrome?!


Question: How do they diagnose chronic fatigue syndrome?
My doctor said my blood test came back positive for the epstien bar virus. I know that many people have this with no symptoms but I have long periods of time when I am so tired I can barely function and I do not know if this is causing it.

Answers:

The Epstein bar virus most certainly causes fatigue, tender lymph nodes, sore throat, fevers etc. The virus usually last around 3-6 weeks or more.

Sadly some people who have had EBV do end up with ME/CFS.

There is no tests to diagnose ME/CFS, the doctor usually does a heap of blood tests to rule out other conditions that have similar symptoms to ME/CFS, but to be diagnosed with CFS, you need to be unwell with unrelenting fatigue, muscle pain (not everyone has this), headaches, tender lymph nodes, memory problems (brain fog), sleep problems etc for 6 months or more.

ME/CFS fluctuates, where some days or weeks you will ok, then all of a sudden you find yourself feeling as if you have the flu coming on, and struggle to function normally. Many people find that colds, flu's & viruses etc often take a little longer to recover than normal.

I am not sure how long you have been unwell with the EBV, but I hope you recover soon and you don't develop CFS.

I have CFS & Fibromyalgia, but due to Ross River Fever, it has caused a major CFS & Fibro flareup, which means I have been very unwell and unable to work my part time job.

http://www.merckmanuals.com/home/au/sec1…
http://www.merckmanuals.com/home/au/sec2…
http://www.medicinenet.com/chronic_fatig…




The consumer health information on answer-health.com is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions.
The answer content post by the user, if contains the copyright content please contact us, we will immediately remove it.
Copyright © 2007-2011 answer-health.com -   Terms of Use -   Contact us

Health Categories