If you ever googled the symptom “tiredness” or “low-energy,” you would have noticed that it is attributed to several different health conditions that range in severity. Tiredness is a vague symptom that can be hard to cure.
This is why it’s so important to also pay close attention to other symptoms that present themselves along with tiredness or low-energy.
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One of those conditions that has tiredness as a symptom is chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). CFS is a complicating condition. Not only is it difficult to diagnose, but doctors aren’t sure of its cause and there aren’t any specific treatments for it. Although tiredness is the main symptom, to get a proper diagnosis, your doctor will also ask about other symptoms too.
If you’re unsure whether or not your tiredness is a normal part of a busy life or something more serious like CFS, the following symptoms will help you narrow in on the cause of your low-energy.
10 symptoms part of chronic fatigue syndrome you should never ignore
You feel rundown: Tiredness and low-energy, as mentioned, can be caused by a variety of things like poor sleep. In CFS, the level of tiredness experienced is beyond that of just not sleeping well. A person with CFS will feel completely run down, as if they have zero energy to perform even the simplest of tasks. Furthermore, even if you do sleep well, you will still feel exhausted.
Sleeping is difficult: Even though you’re so exhausted and all you want to do is sleep, you may find it difficult to actually sleep. If you have exhaustion along with insomnia, it is likely that you have CFS.
You’re mentally exhausted: Alongside your body feeling physically tired, you’re mentally exhausted too.
Memory problems: Mental exhaustion can also trigger memory problems. Focusing can become increasingly more challenging and even remembering where you put your keys can be a problem.
You feel horrible post-workout: Light exercise like yoga is often recommended for CFS patients, but over-exertion can worsen symptoms of CFS.
You feel symptoms of depression: When you’re so physically and mentally exhausted that you simply can’t enjoy day-to-day life, it’s no surprise that you also experience symptoms of depression. It can be quite difficult to deal with exhaustion, so you are left feeling depressed as you are unable to cope.
You experience frequent headaches: Some patients will experience headaches as a result of physical and mental exhaustion.
Simple tasks wear you out: Even if you don’t over-exert yourself, the simplest tasks can wear you out quite quickly. This includes showering or cooking a meal.
You can’t stand the heat or cold: Patients with CFS have an incredibly low tolerance for heat or cold. This means feeling incapacitated on a chilly day or faint on a hot day.
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Your joints hurt: Joint pain and muscle soreness in CFS is often unexplainable. Not all patients experience this, but it’s still important to look out for.
All these symptoms are ongoing: The main difference between symptoms of CFS and having these symptoms relate to another condition is that in CFS, these symptoms are constant. If every day is a challenge, you will want to talk to your doctor about your low energy.
Related: Chronic fatigue syndrome patients may benefit from guided exercise: Study
