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Jack Zoldan, M.D., FACP
Located in Chicago, IL
Call us today 1-773-561-6573 |
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A visit to my office is a healing experience. Hopefully, our interaction will lead my patients to enhance their lifestyle with healthy choices.
I like spending a lot of time with people in my office. Besides patiently listening to someone’s concerns, I enjoy teaching about being healthy and the nature of illness. I want people to know how to pursue total well-being and how to prevent medical problems.
The goal is to live a healthy life.
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Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Definition of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a recognized medical condition which many health care professionals, policy-makers, and lay people nevertheless do not acknowledge as a real disease. Many judge a person with the profound weariness of the Syndrome to be lazy of faking it or depressed. Victims of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome “appear” to the world to be well.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome appears in the primary medical textbooks, with clinical criteria listed. It is problematic for those who do not experience the symptoms because there is nothing observably wrong with the one who suffers.
One definition of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome has two parts. The first is an unexplained fatigue with a definite time of onset that is not related to exertion and impacts life activities. The second aspect requires four of the following symptoms during a six month period but not preceding the fatigue:
- Memory or concentration impairment.
- Sore throat.
- Tender lymph nodes.
- Muscle pain.
- Joint pain without physical findings.
- Headaches.
- Sleep disorder.
- Postexertional malaise lasting over 24 hours.
(adapted from: Harrison’s Principle’s of Internal Medicine)
Other Symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
There are many other symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. These include disorders of almost every organ system of the body. Common ones are various gastrointestinal problems, palpitations, night sweats, muscle pain, allergies, and weight change.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis is difficult because most people with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome only have some of the symptoms coupled with the fatigue. It is easy to think that the primary symptom, such as headache, is the main issue and not be aware of the fatigue as a problem unto itself.
I disagree with the textbook definition of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. My concern arises from the fact that Chronic Fatigue Syndrome can be secondary to another chronic illness. For example, if someone is habitually constipated, the body often responds by becoming fatigued. Metabolic changes arising from living with protracted discomfort lead to persistent exhaustion. As the weariness lingers into a pattern within the body, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome becomes entrenched as a new illness.
More About Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Origin of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Susceptibility to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
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