Fibromyalgia affects as many as 3-6 million Americans and mostly affects women, however, it can affect anyone. Fibromyalgia is also known as fibromyalgia or FMS. Fibromyalgia is not a new disorder; It has been around for almost a century and began to pay attention in the 1980s. It is important to note that Fibromyalgia is not a disease, it is a syndrome. The difference between a disease and a syndrome is that a syndrome is a collection of signs, symptoms, and medical problems that occur together, but not for one specific cause like a disease.
Fibromyalgia is characterized by muscle pain, multiple tender spots and general fatigue. There are other symptoms that may feel one with Fibromyalgia, these include: sleeping problems, dry eyes, anxiety, depression; morning stiffness, headache, irritable bowel syndrome, painful periods, numbness or tingling in the arms and legs, temperature sensitivity, memory problems and many other symptoms can be present.
One of the main Fibromyalgia pain is multiple tender spots. These spots are one of the ways Fibromyalgia is diagnosed. These spots are located in specific parts of the body: the neck, shoulders, back, hips, and upper and lower parts. For people with Fibromyalgia, moderate pressure to these spots can cause a great deal of pain.
Symptoms can vary from day to day and depending on the weather and stress. Even a different time from. Fibromyalgia is usually vague, but it is treatable with the right tools.
Fibromyalgia is difficult to diagnose as people tend to feel tired and hurt all over, but doctors usually find nothing wrong. Both the patient and the doctor are laughing. Although Fibromyalgia is painful, there is one thing it is not: life threatening. It may last a long time, even a lifetime, but it will never get worse and in some cases even better. Never physical damage, just pain.
No one really knows what causes Fibromyalgia, but there seems to be a theory that people with Fibromyalgia have a lower pain threshold due to increased sensitivity in the brain to pain signals. Researchers believe that repeated brain nerve stimulation can change people with Fibromyalgia. They believe these changes involve an abnormal increase in certain levels of chemicals in the brain that cause significant pain. They also believe that the brain’s pain receptors increase some memory of pain and become more sensitive and overreact to pain signals. So they generally believe that a pressure spot on the body that would not hurt someone without Fibromyalgia, will cause great pain to someone who has it. Researchers do not know what initiates this process.
They believe that there are things that trigger Fibromyalgia, and these include: sleep disturbances, injuries (especially to the upper spinal cord region), infection some viral or bacterial, abnormalities of the autonomic nervous system, or perhaps changes in muscle metabolism. Physical stress and hormonal changes are also contributing factors to fibromyalgia.
Diagnosing Fibromyalgia can be a difficult process. The most common diagnostic process is based on two indications: a history of widespread pain over 3 months and the presence of tender points. Pain is considered the most widespread when it affects the four quadrants of the body. There are also 18 sites on the body that are considered tender points, and a person with Fibromyalgia will have 11 of these. So a person with Fibromyalgia will have at least 11 tender points as well as pain on both the right and left side in the upper Treating Fibromyalgia is not easy. He is looking for a team effort and a very skilled doctor. Standard treatment consists of meeting with a physical-therapist, over the counter pain relief, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. , antidepressants and other drugs for patients with symptoms and pain. There are also things that a person can do at home and by himself. They can exercise, get enough sleep, eat healthy food and make changes in their life to reduce stress.
Fibromyalgia is a complex and frustrating syndrome that can cause people a lifetime of pain. It is complex and still trying to be understood by researchers who are so desperate to find a “cure”. There are many options for people with Fibromyalgia and hopefully everyone will find one that is right for them. The patient thing is, by taking care of themselves and doing everything they can, they can stay relaxed and stress free. Fibromyalgia continues to be a mystery.
