The Symptoms Of Fibromyalgia: Common Signs Of A Common Condition
The symptoms of fibromyalgia are highly unpleasant and unfortunately self-perpetuating. Fibromyalgia is a fairly common physical condition that has mental and emotional symptoms as well. If left untreated, the symptoms of fibromyalgia can greatly interfere with patients? quality of life, leading them to experience even more pain than they already feel.
The defining symptoms of fibromyalgia are pains all over the body. The pain affects the muscles of the body but not the joints. The pain is chronic and never-ending, but it won?t kill you, at least literally. There?s no scientific way to test whether someone has fibromyalgia, so a diagnosis relies on what patients say about their symptoms, and a physical examination. Fibromyalgia pain is experienced at specific points of the body known as ?tender points.? These points are extra-sensitive in fibromyalgia patients and even pressing them softly can be very painful. There are 18 tender points in the body, and a doctor diagnoses you as having the symptoms of fibromyalgia, not just ordinary body pain, if you experience pain in at least 11 of the 18 tender points.
However, the symptoms of fibromyalgia aren?t limited to just body pain. Experiencing constant pain all over makes it pretty difficult to fall asleep. This means that fibromyalgia patients are constantly sleep-deprived as well as constantly sore. Even one night of bad sleep can significantly impair your functioning, so imagine what it?s like to experience a bad night of sleep on a regular basis. This has all sorts of bad consequences. Increased irritability, fatigue and lack of concentration are just a few of them. Then from not being exactly in the mood to move around too often, your body becomes weaker and less physically fit, which makes the body?s condition even worse. Other symptoms of fibromyalgia veer into the psychological. Chronic pain combined with lack of sleep can lead to stress and depression, and emotional disturbances can come from other people?s lack of understanding as well as the burden of suffering from fibromyalgia. The symptoms of fibromyalgia aren?t so easy to see from the outside. Internally, fibromyalgia patients are pained and exhausted but people can?t see your aching muscles, and they might interpret your weariness as grouchiness.
Even today, no one knows what causes the symptoms of fibromyalgia, but fortunately there are treatments to relieve them. Pain relievers can obviously relieve pain, and physical therapy can help soothe the muscles. Following a healthy sleep regimen can help patients to feel more rested, and psychological treatments like counseling and emotional support can help people with fibromyalgia cope with their illness.
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