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  • Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
    Crushing tiredness that doesn’t diminish with rest, CFS can wreck lives. It’s also hard to diagnose, so patients may be seen as hypochondriacs. CFS affects more women than men and is seen mostly between the ages of 30 and 50. The true incidence of CFS is hard to gauge as it often goes undiagnosed due to its varying symptoms.  
Submitted by PatientsEngage on 15 January 2015

Crushing tiredness that doesn’t diminish with rest, CFS can wreck lives. It’s also hard to diagnose, so patients may be seen as hypochondriacs. By Dr Shital Raval. 

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a complex disorder characterised by extreme fatigue that is unexplained by any underlying medical condition. The fatigue does not improve with rest and tends to worsen with physical activity or mental exertion. 

CFS affects more women than men and is seen mostly between the ages of 30 and 50. The true incidence of CFS is hard to gauge as it often goes undiagnosed due to its varying symptoms. 

There's no single test to confirm a diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome. A variety of medical tests are done to rule out other health problems that have similar symptoms. 

CFS and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME)

Some people believe that CFS and ME are two separate conditions while others believe that the two conditions are the same but symptoms are different. Myalgic means muscle aches or pains and Encephalomyelitis is inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. 

When fatigue is the main symptom and there is no evidence of imflammation, it is called CFS.