Ratgeber Fatigue Syndrom
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What is fatigue?
“Fatigue” is the French word for tiredness or exhaustion and is also being called languidness or lassitude. It designates an exhaustion symptom which occurs with chronic diseases. As it is perceived by the patient and not visually noticeable to others it is a symptom opposed to a medical sign and primarily used in connection with cancer. It describes a feeling of sustained tiredness and listlessness that has an impact on the daily life of the concerned persons. In despite of sufficient sleep the patient feels weak, exhausted and overstrained.
Diseases connected to fatigue
Besides cancer, diseases with which fatigue occurs as a response of the immune system fighting e. g. an infection, are chronic heart and lung diseases, rheumatism, multiple sclerosis, AIDS, hypertension plus neurological and intestine disorders. Generally it occurs with the beginning of the therapy for these diseases. It can last several weeks or months and continue even after the end of the therapeutic measures.
Causes of fatigue
The causes of fatigue have not been finally elaborated yet. Latest research developments found that the exhaustion syndrome occurs due to multiple factors and for different reasons like blood disorders such as anaemia and hemochromatosis, eating disorders and mental disorders. Fatigue can also occur as a side effect caused by the medicinal treatment used in order to cure the causing disease.
Appearance of fatigue
Often, fatigue first occurs with the start of the therapy. In case of cancer-related fatigue (CRF) the symptom appears with the chemotherapy or radiation therapy and can continue for several weeks or even months. More women than men suffer from fatigue which could be related to the higher indolence of men due to testosterone.
Distinction
Fatigue as a symptom of a chronic disease has to be differentiated from the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, an independent disease which shows headache, a sore throat and muscle pain as well as concentration and memory disorders and insomnia besides the tiredness and exhaustion. Also, a distinction has to be made from burnout, a psychological long-term exhaustion which often leads to psychosomatic syndromes or dependencies.
Diagnosis and therapy
The diagnosis is generally made from the symptoms. The first step in therapy is a comprehensive dialogue with the attending doctor. The integration of family members can be helpful in order to enable them to depict and judge a patient’s state of exhaustion. If physical reasons like anaemia, loss of weight, lack of exercise or hormone disorders cause the fatigue, they are being treated.
Barbara Kliem