Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

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Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a condition defined by extreme fatigue that has no known medical cause. This fatigue can get worse with activity or stress but usually does not improve with rest or sleep. In addition to Chronic fatigue syndrome, it is also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) and systemic exertion intolerance disease (SEID). The condition leaves its sufferers in exhaustion and pain.

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a growing concern with nearly 800,000 Americans reporting symptoms, at a cost of billions of dollars a year in lost productivity and an inferior quality of life for those suffering from it. Chronic fatigue syndrome affects both men and women and symptoms can range from feelings of sluggishness in the morning to feeling complete exhaustion all day long.

In addition to extreme fatigue, Chronic fatigue syndrome symptoms also include:

  • Lack of concentration
  • Poor memory
  • Depression
  • Muscle and joint pain
  • Headaches
  • Poor sleep
  • Sore throat
  • Enlarged lymph nodes

You may be wondering about the difference between “just feeling tired” and Chronic fatigue syndrome. Everyone has felt fatigued at some point. A restless night, working long hours, staying up with a sick child or being jet lagged are sometimes unavoidable drains on your energy. Getting some good sleep takes care of the problem for a healthy person.

However, resting and sleeping do not improve the energy of those suffering from Chronic fatigue syndrome. Chronic fatigue syndrome sufferers often seek relief from: sleep aids, better nutrition, more exercise, less exercise, stress reducing techniques, and many other alternatives. Unfortunately, none of these otherwise healthy practices provide that desperately needed energy to function at an acceptable level for those suffering from the disease.

Chronic fatigue syndrome has many potential triggers, but the root cause of CFS Mitochondriopathy is rarely addressed by doctors. In fact, it is rarely tested. Instead, patients leave the office with medications to address the symptoms or leave with a referral to a shrink.

Let’s take a quick look at Mitochondriopathy.

The first thing you need to understand is that energy cannot be created or destroyed. (Thanks, Einstein!) However, energy can change forms, which is precisely the way our bodies operate.

Food is put into our systems, and the energy in the food is taken out and turned into a form we can use. This happens as fats, carbohydrates, and proteins enter into little cell engines we call mitochondria. Our bodies have trillions of these that help produce energy.

If the mitochondria don’t get adequate nutrients, these little engines fail. This failure is known as mitochondriopathy and it makes our bodies feel fatigued all the way to the cellular level where the mitochondria live. When the mitochondria fail to produce energy, every system in our body will suffer.

Discovering mitochondriopathy is easy if a physician orders the right test – a simple urine test. Yet, so many doctors never test for it because reading and understanding the results takes special training.

What happens when they don’t test for mitochondriopathy?

Doctors end up sending their patients home with medications that will never get to the root of the problem. The patient continues to suffer an ever degrading quality of life.

It is crucial to find a doctor that understands the test and how to evaluate the Citric Acid Cycle/ Kreb’s Cycle. Then the doctor can develop a plan to correct mitochondriopathy and Chronic fatigue syndrome. A functional medicine doctor will look for the lack of specific nutrients such as B1, B2, B3, Lipoic Acid, Iron, Magnesium, and a host of amino acids. They will also investigate other factors slowing down the energy cycle like heavy metal toxicity. This will help them see what is happening to your body at the cellular level.

Once you’ve been evaluated, a plan can be put into place that corrects the imbalance. This is done through diet, lifestyle changes, supplements and time. Most patients recover fully from Chronic fatigue syndrome and can lead a normal and healthy life, as long as the plan is followed.

No matter who you are, you can help your body improve its mitochondrial function by doing the following things:

  • Eat a diet rich in whole foods that contain B-vitamins, iron, essential fats, and antioxidants
  • Get regular, healthy sleep
  • Use healthy eating habits to aid in property digestion
  • Participate in high-intensity interval training (HIIT)
  • Drink plenty of fluids

Chronic fatigue syndrome has many triggers that may also need to be addressed. These include:

  • Infections
  • Leaky guy syndrome
  • Thyroid issues
  • Adrenal fatigue

That’s why it is essential to work with a trained clinician who can help you determine the root causes of your fatigue and help you create a plan to overcome these issues. At the Unlimited Health Institute, we will do just that so that you can become happy and healthy again. Call today for a personal consultation.