Symptoms
- fatigue: an extensive exhaustion that endures through sleep and rest, and is often out of line with energy expenditure.
- fogginess: cognitive difficulties taking the form of concentration loss, brief lapses in recollection, loss for words, and confusion.
- sleep loss: disruptions in one’s ability to fall or stay asleep that limit deep sleep cycles and restoration.
- pain: common to both chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia are aches and pain, typically felt across the whole body but in some cases isolated.
Chronic fatigue
The four core symptoms above blend to create conditions that are very similar. In many cases, focusing on which of these is the most severe will assist in identifying the true nature of your discomfort. In the case of chronic fatigue, exhaustion ends up taking centre stage as the predominant symptom that patients will identify. This fatigue is severe, and can endure over significant periods of time (months!)
Fibromyalgia
Alternatively, fibromyalgia’s predominant symptom is systematic, widespread pain. This discomfort, which may manifest as stiffness, will be amplified on specific parts of the body are both highly sensitive. Identifying these particularly agitated areas is a critical first step in diagnosing fibromyalgia against other similar conditions, like chronic fatigue.
Conclusion
If the above is indicative of anything, it’s that being mindful of your body and the symptoms working against it is a great deal more important than striving to land on a self-imposed diagnosis. Keep track of the problems you’re facing as well as their comparative severity, because many conditions leave similar breadcrumbs despite being very different in nature.
For daily updates and insight, visit Cornerstone’s social media channels. Similarly, for more information on chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, or how Cornerstone diagnoses and treats these conditions, don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re always happy to answer your questions or set up a consultation.
