HEALTH COLUMN

Do you often feel malaise, fatigued and like you have the flu? Do you need to sleep more than most people and feel drained after you do too much? If this sounds familiar you might be suffering from Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome, otherwise know as CFIDS.

It’s a disease that is seldom heard about anymore, but in the early 1990’s it was known as the “yuppie flu”. Generally, white, hard working, over stressed, khaki wearing, Type-A personalities would come down with the disease. Of course this is ridiculous because people of all colors and nationalities have the disease and not all sufferers wear khaki pants.

CFIDS usually begins after a bout with a virus like mononucleosis or Epstein Barr virus or after a series of illnesses like colds. Sometimes a traumatic event like a surgery can kick it off, because a physical or emotional trauma can cause the immune system to weaken. The reality is that no one really knows what causes CFIDS and there is no cure.

The symptoms include fatigue, dizziness, low blood pressure, headaches, memory loss, sleep disturbance, swollen glands, and joint pain. Not everyone with the disease has all of these symptoms. The symptoms can wax and wane and be less intense or more intense on certain days. Some people can function and some can’t.

In order to be diagnosed with CFIDS one has to be tested for all other illnesses. It is a process of elimination because many of the symptoms of CFIDS are similar to other ailments. When other tests have been done and come back negative then Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome is the only logical medical explanation for the patients condition.

What do you do after you’ve been diagnosed with this chronic illness? Rest. The best thing that you can do is slow down and take it easy, which is so hard for so many of us to do. There is no universal pill to take to help the condition. Unfortunately, it’s a lot of trial and error. Most with the illness have to get plenty of sleep, avoid stressful situations, partying all night and eating junk food. Because Western medicine has truly failed this disease, most turn to holistic medicine or nutritional therapies. Holistic medicine looks at the person as a whole instead of treating one symptom separately from other symptoms.

Acupuncture helps restore the “Ying” and the “yang” in the body and clear energy pathways, which promotes healing and increased vitality. Chinese medicine, herbal medicine and homeopathy have helped many diseases. Yoga is a great technique in learning to heal the body because of the breathing techniques that are taught. Proper deep breathing can normalize body chemistry.

One of the hardest things in dealing with CFIDS is the lack of support from friends and loved ones. Most people don’t even know what Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction is so most people don’t know how to support the sufferer. If you have CFIDS or you think you have it, find a good physician or health care practitioner who knows how to treat the many symptoms of the disease. Try to find a CFIDS support group or another CFIDS sufferer to lean on.