Fybromyalgia is a chronic condition of fatigue and pain. The pain is often widespread and can be more severe in areas of the body that are used more often. The pain experienced with Fybromyalgia can be described as aching or burning, and it often feels like it goes from head to toe. The fatigue is often like someone pressing a switch to turn off the energy within your body and all you can do is rest. Someone suffering from Fybromyalgia can become exhausted very quickly. Some other symptoms of Fybromyalgia are:
- Sleep problems – deep sleep cannot be obtained and you wake in the morning feeling stiff and exhausted. You may wake up after a couple of hours and feel like you are wide awake, you are exhausted but cannot get back to sleep again. Sometimes you cannot get off to sleep at all, even though you are tired.
- Lack of concentration – lack of concentration can happen often, studying or reading or even following a train of thought can be difficult, memory can also be affected.
- Headaches – headaches can vary from a slight annoying pain to a full blown migraine. There can also be facial pain which can occur in the jaws.
- Sensitivity – sensitivity to light, noise, the weather and touch, and allergies can develop too.
- Dizziness – dizziness and clumsiness are also a symptom of the illness.
- IBS – irritable bowel syndrome
The word Fybromyalgia is made up from three words: Fybro – meaning tissue, (tendons and ligaments for example), My – which refers to muscle and Algia – meaning pain.
Quite often those who suffer from Fybromyalgia are deemed to be “lazy” and usually it is the lack of understanding the illness that causes such criticism. Chronic pain and fatigue often mean that the sufferer can only sit, or lie down and rest and every day tasks can be difficult.
By writing this blog, I hope to bring a better understanding of this illness to sufferers and their families and friends.
Author
