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If you feel a specific type of tired all the time and don’t know why, your body may be desperately trying to fight something, with no chance of reaching it.
This is not the kind of tiredness that can be overcome by spending a weekend sleeping in or even going on a full week of vacation to the beach. It’s a deep, debilitating type of muscle fatigue that makes it seem impossible to even get out of bed some days.
The type of lethargic, extreme fatigue that leaves you exhausted to the core could be caused by what is known as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).
What is chronic fatigue syndrome?
Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is the label intended to describe a complex syndrome that causes extreme, disabling, long-term fatigue and exhaustion.
Most people affected by ME/CFS also have one or more additional symptoms, such as muscle pain, joint pain, sleep disorders, poor concentration and/or headaches. In severe cases, you may experience all of these.
What causes ME/CFS and how can it be diagnosed?
As with most syndromes, there is no blood test available to make a definitive diagnosis and the cause is currently unknown.
There are pressure point tests you can do to evaluate your pain that provide a rough measurement standard. If a certain number of pain points react, it can be assumed that you have ME/CFS.
The medical community in Europe understands the cause to be a painful inflammation of the brain and spinal cord (which is basically what the Latin words myalgic encephalomyelitis mean). However, once again, this is simply another way of describing a set of symptoms rather than identifying a cause.
Chronic fatigue syndrome tends to be the go-to diagnosis when suffering from chronic debilitating fatigue and pain, but you’ve tried everything else and nothing shows up. Many doctors seem to consider it a general diagnosis that covers a variety of diseases and problems that result in the same set of symptoms. There is considerable variation between the types and severity of symptoms that leave someone with an overwhelming feeling of constant fatigue.
Basically, this syndrome is only diagnosed by ruling out any other known possibilities.
So when does feeling tired all the time cross the line into feeling overworked, overstressed, and close to burnout?
Here are 9 symptoms of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue to look out for if you are extremely exhausted and constantly wondering, “Why am I always so tired?”
Here are 9 small signs that you have chronic fatigue syndrome:
1. It is very different from everyday tiredness (like after a week of work)
- Rest doesn’t improve much.
- It is not due to or similar to fatigue after excessive effort.
- It is not due to muscle weakness.
- It is not a loss of motivation or pleasure that occurs in depressed people.
Photo: cottonbro studio/Pexels
It is neither of those things, but any of them can develop as a result of CFS/ME.
2. There is a sudden onset
Feeling like you’re catching the flu but it never goes away. There are cases where it develops more slowly, but the sudden appearance is a big warning sign. This is one of the main reasons why many believe it has a viral component.
3. There is a dull, aching pain in the muscles and joints.
Dull, aching pain in your muscles or joints that doesn’t go away and doesn’t respond to anything is another sign of chronic fatigue syndrome. It can develop into chronic headaches that are not migraines. The pain is often thought to be in the fascia, but there is a lot of movement and it does not seem to be related to the use of the muscles.
4. You experience post-activity discomfort
This means that you manage to do something but the next day you can barely function. It may take several days for it to stabilize again. Exercising makes all symptoms worse.
5. You are mentally exhausted
Not only do your muscles feel tired but your brain feels like it just can’t function. Many report that it is different from brain fog or anxiety. It just seems like the brain is too tired to work.
6. Your thinking skills deteriorate
Poor concentration, poor short-term memory, short attention span, poor memory of recent events, difficulty planning or organizing your thoughts, difficulty finding the right words to say, and sometimes feeling disoriented. These skills often paint a very different picture of the patient’s ability to function before the onset.
7. You feel exhausted but can’t sleep.
You lie in bed and the pain keeps you awake. It’s like you don’t have the energy to go to sleep. When you fall asleep you feel like you can’t wake up. Many suffer from alterations in sleep patterns. Sleep problems are the result, not the cause, of CFS/ME.
8. You have a recurring sore throat
This is usually accompanied by tenderness in nearby lymph nodes. The sore throat seems cyclical rather than simply contracting another virus.
9. You have a racing heart or palpitations.
Your heartbeat may be irregular. but the tests show nothing and the doctors cannot explain it.
If you are tired to the point of extreme fatigue and have six or more of the above indicators, you need help.
It’s not just about being overworked or needing a vacation.
Find a functional medicine doctor or naturopath who can perform testing to rule out everything else and then follow up with a holistic therapist for treatment.
Knowing what you have is helpful in one sense, but on the other hand, a diagnosis alone won’t make you feel better. But don’t fall into the trap of believing this can’t be “cured.”
Not only are you tired, but you also have the right care to help you.
Linda Easthouse is a stress management coach, energy medicine practitioner, radionics master, best-selling author, and founder of East House Natural Health.