What is known about chronic fatigue?
According to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 3.3 million people in the United States currently suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Previously, this condition was not considered serious for physical and psychological health, but now it has the official status of a "disease" (illness).
Research has shown that CFS occurs in a wide variety of people, but it is most prone to women aged 50 to 69 years.
Some CFS sufferers suffer from insomnia, others sleep soundly, but when they wake up, they do not get any pleasure from sleep, since the surge of morning energy is completely absent.
One of the main disadvantages of CFS is brain fog. This condition reduces productivity, physical and intellectual activity. Immune system malfunctions.
Most patients with chronic fatigue syndrome do not have autoimmune disorders or serious pathologies such as HIV that affect the immune system. However, more than 60% of people with CFS have previously been diagnosed with allergies, a common malfunction of the immune system.
Allergies or other immune system malfunctions are thought to deplete the energy reserves of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in cells, depriving the body of fuel. In addition, some people with CFS have overactive T-cells of the immune system, which help fight infections.
Oxidative stress Oxidative stress is a condition in which the body has too many free radicals, molecules missing one electron, which lead to the oxidation of cells and their death. Oxidative stress is thought to be associated with the "powerhouses" of the cell, the mitochondria. Their main function is to provide cells with energy. They also serve as a source of reactive oxygen species (ROS) — a type of free radical that provokes oxidative stress.
When the function of mitochondria is impaired in the body, ROS imbalance occurs, and cells die due to oxidation. As a result, a person feels tired.
Changes in the brain
One of the theories for the occurrence of CFS is an imbalance of the happiness hormones serotonin and dopamine in the brain. They regulate mood, however, for the system to work properly, the hormones must be in balance. If the balance is disturbed, a person may feel inexplicable fatigue.
Causes of chronic fatigue
The exact causes leading to chronic fatigue syndrome have not yet been established. However, there are risk factors that can provoke the occurrence of this disease:
• Unhealthy lifestyle (frequent lack of sleep, lack of sunlight and fresh air, nicotine and alcohol consumption, etc.)
• Chronic diseases
• Psychological disorders (constant stress, frequent depression, anxiety)
• Unbalanced nutrition (poor quality products, excess or lack of food, lack of vitamins)
• Unfavorable environment (the ecological situation in cities is much worse than in rural areas)
• Infections and viruses (the body's constant fight against viruses leads to general fatigue)