In its 2015 report
the NASEM estimated that as many as 2.5 million people in the United States have chronic fatigue syndrome. However, approximately 84% of people with symptoms live undiagnosed at that time, possibly due to a poor understanding of the condition.
First: What Are the Causes of Chronic Fatigue?
It is not yet known the cause of chronic fatigue, but some of the proposed risk factors include
hormonal imbalance
immune system problems
viral infections
Most patients experiencing chronic fatigue have other health conditions
As the name suggests, it's an exhausting illness: People with chronic fatigue suffer:
1 - an unexplained and extreme feeling of tiredness that can last for many months and often years.
2- are often unable to do their regular daily activities.
3 - You Often Wake Up Tired
People with chronic fatigue syndrome can log 12 hours in bed, "but when they get up, they feel like they haven't slept at all," said Dr. Keller. The 2015 NASEM report dubbed the phenomenon "unrefreshing sleep."
4 - Your Brain Feels Sluggish
Some people with chronic fatigue syndrome experience some "cognitive impairment," according to the 2015 NASEM report. "Mostly what happens is they have a delay in their ability to process information, According to Dr. Keller, people with chronic fatigue syndrome may also have blips in their short-term memory.
You Get Lightheaded Just From Standing
For many people with chronic fatigue syndrome, standing upright—in the shower, for example, or while doing dishes—can lead to feelings of dizziness and lightheadedness, and possibly fainting. The symptoms get better when the person lies down or elevates their feet but don't necessarily disappear.
You Get Headaches or Joint and Muscle Pain
Pain is a common symptom of chronic fatigue—but it can come in many forms, from headaches to joint and muscle pain. According to the 2015 NASEM report, it also differs in intensity from one person to the next.
The treatment plan for chronic fatigue recovery
Step 1 – Nutritional Therapy for gut healing
Studies have shown that CFS is associated with an underlying increased incidence of microbial translocation (leaky gut) due to chronic inflammation and breakdown of the gut lining proteins.This leads to an ongoing drain on the immune system, immune dysfunction
Step 2 – Increase Prebiotic Intake
Prebiotics are foods containing indigestible forms of fibre found in some fruits, vegetables, and starches. They act as a food source for the friendly bacteria in the gut and are rich in important molecules like fructans, pectin, inulin, beta-glucans, and Galatians. Prebiotics do not contain positive bacteria but they are molecules that resist digestion and absorption in the upper gastrointestinal tract, are subsequently fermented by the intestinal microflora, and selectively stimulate the growth or activity of friendly intestinal bacteria.
Try to include 1 or more prebiotic fibre sources into your daily routine.
Step 3 – Probiotics
The intestinal microbiome plays an important role in the function and integrity of the gastrointestinal tract, maintenance of immune homeostasis, and host energy metabolism. Perturbations in the composition of microbial communities, also known as dysbiosis, can result in disrupted interactions between microbes and their host. Studies have shown that these changes in microbiome composition and function are thought to contribute towards CFS susceptibility and progression. Other studies have demonstrated the introduction of positive bacterial culture (probiotics) into this gut environment can help in maintaining gut integrity, reducing inflammation, and rebalancing the microbiome.
Step 4 – Lifestyle Adjustments
1. Shop seasonal, local, organic and vary your diet
Avoiding sprayed fruit and veggies and going for local organic produce is a great way to reduce gut inflammation and to ensure your body is eating right for the season. Local farmers will provide you with all the seasonal foods ideal for your body at that time. Hearty vegetables for winter soups and stews and leafy greens for summertime salads. Feed your body the sustenance it needs with what the earth naturally provides for you, make food your medicine, not your poison.
2. Empty your cupboard of tempting foods and drinks
With chronic fatigue, the body is always craving sugar and fat as it is low on fuel and burnt out. T
Don’t fuel the inflammatory fire more by stoking it with sugar or caffeine, detox yourself
3. Create a mealtime routine – how you eat is equally important:
Over eating or eating to fast causes stress and inflammation in the gut. To avoid putting pressure on your gut when you eat it is important to ensure all food is chewed properly and the body is in a calm, relaxed state. Digestion begins when you begin to chew and continues while the body is in a para-sympathetic (relaxed) state.
.4. Choose quality over quantity
In our culture we think that ‘quantity equals value’ and as a consequence, many people eat almost twice as much as their body needs. For food, One good idea is to use a smaller plate to avoid overeating. Smaller portions reduce your levels of oxidative stress associated with digestion, allow for a healthy gut and also provide better nutrient absorption from your food. For those recovering from CFS, it is best to have 5 small meals per day rather than 3 big ones.
5.Increase your water intake and avoid dehydration
Your body needs 1.5-2L (8 glasses) of water per day to function effectively. If you feel sluggish and tired often simply increasing your water intake can help you feel immediately more alert and energised. Try to avoid diuretics like coffee as these can cause your body to become dehydrated and puts a lot of pressure on your kidneys. Upon urinating your stream should be a clear to a pale yellow colour. Any darker and you may want to consider drinking some more water.
7. Ensure you are getting enough sunlight and vitamin D
Adequate sunlight is essential as it can regulate the production of melatonin, which can help with sleep patterns and also activate and increase the body’s natural vitamin D. Vitamin D plays an essential role in calcium balance and has positive benefits on healthy immune function and bone density. It is estimated that sensible sun exposure on bare skin for 5-10 minutes 2-3 times per week allows most people to produce sufficient vitamin D. Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency include:
Exercise
One of the biggest issues with recovery from chronic fatigue comes from difficulties with exercise. Too much harms the body and not enough halts recovery. Studies have demonstrated that people with chronic fatigue have altered metabolism that often results in increased production of inflammatory species with exercise and subsequent post exertion malaise (PEM). So pushing the body when it isn’t ready for exercise will just cause more fatigue and can even result in a health collapse. So how do you find the right balance between over-doing it and under-doing it? The answer to this is to listen to your body and its requirements. This can be done via analysis of symptoms and/or using technology to measure your sympathetic/parasympathetic response via heart rate variability (HRV). The other key is to never plan exercise, but just to do when your body is ready and also to perform the right exercise at the right time.
2. Measuring using your Heart Rate Variability (HRV):
HRV is the term used to describe moment-to-moment variations in our heart rate. It does not refer to the variations of heart rate that occur with activity, illness, or other factors. HRV refers to the subtle, rhythmic heart rate fluctuations that occur with respiration – when we breathe in our heart rate speeds up slightly and when we breathe out it slows down slightly. Low HRV is associated with increased sympathetic (fight/flight) nervous system (SNS) activity, and/or decreased parasympathetic (rest/digest) nervous system (PNS) activity, and is associated with chronic inflammatory disease, cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome, interstitial cystitis, chronic pain, and ME/CFS and FM. HRV Apps can take data from a heart band monitor and create a better picture of when the body is sympathetic and when it is parasympathetic. From this, with a health diary, you can track progress, learn to see crashes, associate crashes with events, and determine when and how much exercise is right for your body. For some, this can be a great tool to help them find the balance between too much and not enough
Supplements
Supplements are essential to a comprehensive, holistic recovery plan, however, it is important to realise the limitations with any supplement regime. At best most supplement regimes will only offer 15-30% maximum of the required 100% to recover. Instead of taking a pill for every symptom try to simplify your regime to a few key supplements that you cannot source effectively from your diet. Keep it simple and be specific and targeted. Always choose quality over quantity
- Immunity to help fight colds, infections and flus
During winter I found a lot of respite from cold’s and flu by building my natural immunity holistically from the gut to the brain. Some specific supplements I found helpful include GPx Cell Protect, Maca, Immunity Fuel, Bone Broth and Zinc. In addition, when i found a sniffle coming on I would high-dose with a Medi-herb blend with wild basil, echinacea and andrographis. Andrographis helps to boost the immune system by stimulating the body’s production of antibodies and macrophages, which are large white blood cells that scavenge harmful microorganisms. It can help lessen the severity of cold symptoms such as sleeplessness, fever, nasal drainage and sore throat. In combination I also would take high-dose liposomal vitamin C during acute infection
- Cell metabolism to increase energy production
I often take a B-complex vitamin to support my body during times of excessive stress. B Complex vitamins can help increase energy production and energy levels within cells. If energy levels are very low with lots of post-exertional malaise (PEM) then try adding in a Co-Q 10 supplement to reduce down cellular inflammation and improve mitochondrial function.
HPA regulation and normalising adrenal function
Long-term dysfunction of the immune system and prolonged stress response in chronic fatigue can cause dysregulation of the important hypothalamus – pituitary – adrenal (HPA) axis. As a whole, the HPA axis is a major part of the system that controls your physiological reaction to stress. The HPA axis also helps regulate a lot of other things in your body, such as your temperature, digestion, immune system function, mood, sexuality, and energy usage. The HPA axis plays a role in all central sensitivity syndromes, including the family of illnesses of fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and several other chronic autoimmune conditions. Signs of
- Acupuncture (1-2 times per week)
Acupuncture has long been used to manage and treat stress and assist with returning the body to balance. Acupuncture points are believed to trigger the body’s regulatory mechanisms to release chemicals into the muscles, brain, and spinal cord. The chemicals either reduce pain and inflammation or stimulate the secretion of hormones or other chemicals to initiate the body’s self-regulating systems. Therefore, acupuncture exerts a strong homeostatic effect to restore the body’s natural healthy balance. Studies have shown that acupuncture has a regulatory effect on the release of neurotransmitters and neurohormones and can positively alter brain chemistry to promote physical and emotional well being and can bring regulation back to HPA function. Acupuncture is drug-free and a simple and easy way to help the body heal from chronic fatigue.
Sleep
Patients with ME/CFS often feel less refreshed and restored after sleep than they did before they became ill. Common sleep complaints include difficulty falling or staying asleep, extreme sleepiness, intense and vivid dreaming, restless legs, and nighttime muscle spasms.
Good sleep habits are important for all people, including those with ME/CFS. When people try these tips but are still unable to sleep, their doctor might recommend taking medicine to help with sleep. First, people should try over-the-counter sleep products. If this does not help, doctors can offer a prescription sleep medicine, starting at the smallest dose and using for the shortest possible time.
People might continue to feel unrefreshed even after the medications help them to get a full night of sleep.If so, they should consider seeing a sleep specialist. Most people with sleep disorders, like sleep apnea (symptoms include brief pausing in breathing during sleep) and narcolepsy (symptoms include excessive daytime sleepiness), respond to therapy. However, for people with ME/CFS, not all symptoms may go away.
People with ME/CFS often have deep pain in their muscles and joints. They might also have headaches (typically pressure-like) and soreness of their skin when touched.
pain management methods include stretching and movement therapies, gentle massage, heat, toning exercises, and water therapy for healing. Acupuncture, when done by a licensed practitioner, might help with pain for some patients.
repeated thermal therapy
had relaxation effect and diminishes appetite loss and subjective complaints in mildly depressed patients. These results suggest that repeated thermal therapy may be a promising method for the treatment of CFS.
Botox
For some, Botox can allay migraine pain. That’s because the tiny amount of toxin in it penetrates your nerve endings and blocks the release of the chemicals that transmit pain signals in your brain. The effectiveness is undeniable, which led the Food and Drug Administration to approve Botox as a migraine treatment in 2010, but only for folks who suffer from at least 15 migraines a month or more. It’s not as effective for occasional attacks.
Botox works for many patients who experience migraines, and for those who experience relief, it can prevent attacks before they start. You may need several treatments for the full effect.
For to: Get Relief for Your Chronic Migraines with Innovative Treatment Options
https://www.samwellpain.com/blog/get-relief-for-your-chronic-migraines-with-innovative-treatment-options
The Links
https://www.samwellpain.com/blog/get-relief-for-your-chronic-migraines-with-innovative-treatment-options
https://solvecfs.org/
https://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-and-nutrition/diet/ways-eat-more-probiotics-everyday/
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/chronic-fatigue-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20360490
https://www.reference.com/world-view/causes-chronic-fatigue-aa0c213b0302cd15?utm_content=params%3Ao%3D740005%26ad%3DdirN%26qo%3DserpIndex%26ag%3Dfw&ueid=b18a353e-e64e-456b-bbf4-64a69156b7ce
https://selenohealth.com/blogs/blog/treating-chronic-fatigue?utm_campaign=gs-2022-05-16&utm_source=google&utm_medium=smart_campaign&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIqPXZspORgQMVywcGAB3trAIAEAAYAyAAEgJ4tvD_BwE
No comments:
Post a Comment