Symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome:
The main symptom of CFS is persistent tiredness and exhaustion. This does not go away with sleep or rest, and limits the activities you were once capable of. Fatigue is mental as well as physical, and some people describe it as "overwhelming".
Exercising or being physically active can make symptoms worse. The effect of this is sometimes delayed. For example, if you played a game of sport, the resulting fatigue may not develop for a few hours afterwards, or even the next day.
Other symptoms in addition to fatigue are also common, although most people do not have all of them. They include:
· Muscular pain, joint pain and headaches.
· Poor short-term memory and concentration.
· Difficulty organising your thoughts and finding the right words.
· Painful lymph nodes (this is often felt as tender, glandular swelling around your throat).
· Stomach pain and other problems similar to irritable bowel syndrome (e.g. bloating, constipation, diarrhoea and nausea).
· Sore throat.
· Severe headache.
· Sleeping problems, such as insomnia and disturbed sleep.
· Sensitivity or intolerance to light, loud noise, alcohol and certain foods.
· Additional, less common symptoms, such as dizziness, excess sweating, balancing problems and difficulty controlling body temperature.
Depending on symptoms, CFS is often categorised as mild, moderate, severe or very severe. This ranges from taking a few days off work to rest, to staying in bed almost all of the time. Most cases are mild or moderate, but up to 1 in 4 sufferers have severe or very severe symptoms.