Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (part1)

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is a condition that has become widespread in the United States. Symptoms associated with CFS include aching muscles and joints, anxiety, depression, difficulty concentrating, fever, headaches, intestinal problems, irritability, jaundice, loss of appetite, mood swings, muscle spasms, recurrent upper respiratory tract infections, sensitivity to light and heat, sleep disturbances, sore throat, swollen glands (lymph nodes), temporary memory loss- most of all extreme and often disabling fatigue.
The symptoms of this syndrome resemble those of flu and other vital infections, so it is often mistaken for other disorders. It is often mis-diagnosed as hypochondria, psychosomatic illness, or depression, because routine medical tests do not detect any problems. The syndrome is three times more prevalent to women than in men, and primarily affects young adults between the ages of twenty and forty.
The major criteria used to distinguish Chronic Fatigue Syndrome are:

1. Persistent fatigue that does not resolve with bed rest and that is severe enough to reduce average daily activity by at least 50 percent for at least six months.

2. The presence of other chronic clinical conditions, including psychiatric disorders, can be ruled out.