Beware! Chronic fatigue syndrome may bring big trouble! Check to see if you are infected

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a disease name recommended by the Centers for Disease Control in the United States. It refers to a clinical syndrome in which healthy people experience severe general fatigue for unknown reasons, accompanied by mental symptoms such as low-grade fever, headache, muscle pain, depression, and inattention, and sometimes swollen lymph nodes that affect their normal life. In the past, there was insufficient knowledge about this disease, and many such patients were misdiagnosed as neurasthenia. For this reason, the Centers for Disease Control in the United States has established a standard for diagnosing this disease.

(1) Main criteria: The following two items must be met: ① Severe and debilitating fatigue of recent onset, lasting for at least 6 months. ② No medical or psychiatric disease causing fatigue, such as malignant tumors, autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases, neuromuscular diseases, drug addiction, poisoning, etc.

(2) Secondary difficulty: At least eight of the following symptoms are required: widespread headache, muscle pain, joint pain, fever, sore throat, pain in the neck or axillary lymph nodes, muscle weakness, fatigue lasting for more than 24 hours after light work, neuropsychiatric symptoms (such as irritability, forgetfulness, inattention, difficulty thinking, depression, etc.), sleep disorders, sudden fatigue, etc.

(3) Objective criteria: at least two of the following symptoms and signs: low-grade fever (oral temperature 37.6-38.0°C or rectal temperature 37.9-38.8°C); non-exudative pharyngitis and throat pain of prolonged duration; mild enlargement and tenderness of cervical or axillary lymph nodes.

The number of CFS patients is increasing year by year. The disease has a long course. The long-term fatigue and mood disorders of patients seriously affect their work efficiency and quality of life. Further delay will cause anxiety, depression, cognitive dysfunction, etc., becoming an invisible killer threatening human health. Epidemiological survey results show that white-collar workers and teachers are the high-risk groups for CFS. Introverted personality, poor interpersonal relationships, bad living habits and excessive physical and mental stress are all high-risk factors for the onset of CFS [1].

Modern medicine has not yet fully elucidated the etiology and pathogenesis of chronic fatigue syndrome. Researchers generally believe that it is related to factors such as viral infection, decreased function of the neuroendocrine system, decreased immune function, oxidative stress and genetics.

The viral infections associated with the onset of CFS mainly include Epstein-Barr virus, enterovirus, Candida albicans, Borrelia burgdorferi, cytomegalovirus, human herpes virus, retrovirus, Borna virus, Coxsackie virus group B and hepatitis C virus (HCV). Therefore, some scholars call CFS "post-viral fatigue syndromes" (PVFS). However, it is still unclear whether viral infection is the mechanism that causes CFS [1].

It has been found that CFS patients have poor negative feedback regulation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis (an important neuroendocrine organ in the human body), which is believed to be caused by a decrease in the activity of adrenocorticotropic hormone-releasing hormone or a response to stress.

Studies have found that CFS patients may have various immune abnormalities, most of whom have a history of allergies, and antinuclear antibodies, abnormal plasma immunoglobulins, increased immune complexes, decreased NK activity and monocyte function, abnormal lymphocyte subsets, and abnormal cytokines can be detected in their bodies [2].

In addition to biological and genetic factors, personal lifestyle behaviors are also closely related to the occurrence of fatigue syndrome.

Unhealthy lifestyles that cause white-collar workers and teachers to suffer from CFS include staying up late for a long time, smoking, alcoholism, unreasonable diet, lack of exercise or physical labor, etc. Occasional insomnia will cause fatigue and uncoordinated movements the next day, while long-term insomnia will lead to consequences such as inability to concentrate, memory impairment, and inability to work. Lack of sleep will reduce immunity, leading to the occurrence of various diseases, and is also a risk factor for obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. In addition, lack of sleep can also promote premature aging of the body, endocrine disorders, decreased sexual function, memory loss, emotional disorders, etc. Alcoholism and excessive calorie intake or nutritional deficiencies can all lead to body disorders, especially nutrition and diet. A reasonable diet can improve the body's immunity and prevent fatigue. On the contrary, long-term malnutrition will reduce the body's resistance, immune dysfunction, and premature fatigue; nutrient deficiency is also a factor in the onset of CFS, such as vitamin B, vitamin C, zinc, and magnesium deficiency can produce CFS symptoms.

In addition, most studies have found that negative emotions and personality are closely related to CFS. Studies have shown that personality factors such as indecisiveness, sentimentality, neurosis or hysteria are closely related to CFS. The reason may be that the inner world of white-collar workers and teachers is complex and closed. The cruel competition, changes in living and communication methods, and lack of appropriate psychological adjustment skills can make people feel lonely, longing for care but maintaining a high level of psychological defense, and their inner emotions cannot be properly communicated and vented. When psychological changes accumulate to a certain extent, they will inevitably affect physiological functions, manifest as chronic fatigue, and affect the quality of life.

In the fast-paced, high-efficiency modern society, white-collar workers and teachers in particular are often in a state of overloaded mental and physical stress. If this state can be relieved or resolved in time through appropriate self-adjustment, such as participating in recreational activities and frequently seeking help when encountering troubles, it can effectively prevent chronic fatigue and psychological depression.

References:

1. .Exploration and thinking on the essence of "spleen deficiency" in immune dysfunction of chronic fatigue syndrome[J]. Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2021, 32(09): 2233-2235.

2. Yu Chao, Wu Lei, Hu Weihua. Research progress on the etiology of chronic fatigue syndrome in primary and secondary school teachers[J]. Journal of Nanchang University (Medical Edition), 2012, 52(03): 88-91+94.