Explaining Symptoms of Fibromyalgia

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Formerly categorised as a disorder of the musculoskeletal system, fibromyalgia is now considered a central nervous system problem. A few examples of the symptoms are a higher sensitivity to pain, aching and stiff joints, tiredness, and the appearance of specific tender points on the back, chest, and limbs. You need a full body fibromyalgia diagnosis to determine all the symptoms.

People suffering from fibromyalgia also complain of migraines, sleeping problems and irritable bowel syndrome. Up to 3 percent of the population may suffer from fibromyalgia, but with no clear cause, the condition is difficult to diagnose. Most of fibromyalgia sufferers are women, but men and children do experience the symptoms, too.

Out of the numerous symptoms of fibromyalgia, pain remains the most distinguishable one of all. In medical terms, it is described as generalized musculoskeletal aches, pain and stiffness. In order to classify the pain that a person is feeling as a fibromyalgia symptom, it has to be present in all four limbs for a minimum of three months, and pain must be felt in at least 11 of the 18 typically tested tender points when pressure is applied to them. Once you know the tender points, you can use fibromyalgia pain treatment medications for pain relief.

That's the medical description. The fibromyalgia sufferer's version of it is as follows.

"I find it hard to move because I am in so much pain. I'm trying my best to stay put."

"There is no way to describe the pain. Unfortunately, it will be your constant partner, all day, every day."

"What people don't realize is that I am in pain all the time, every day."

"Sometimes you think, no big deal, it's just pain. It will not end your life. Sometimes you wish it was. At least if it can cause death, there is an end to this tunnel."

The pain waxes and wanes, varying in intensity. There are good days, and there are bad ones. On some days the situation isn't too bad: but on some days, you're pretty much crippled by it. Fibromyalgia pain intensifies on freezing or humid days, when you didn't manage to get a good night's sleep, when you are too active or the reverse of it, when you feel tense or when there is a change in your hormones.

After pain, extreme tiredness appears to be the second most debilitating characteristic of fibromyalgia. The findings of recent research suggests that the tiredness is caused by a stage four sleep disorder called alpha EEG anomaly. When a person is in deep stage four sleep, the brain experiences bursts of activity akin to the time we are awake; as a result, the body lacks sufficient undisturbed deep sleep to be truly rested.

Besides the alpha EEG anomaly, many people who suffer from fibromyalgia also get sleep apnea, airway resistance syndrome, bruxism (a tendency to grind your teeth when you sleep), limb movement and jerking and restless leg syndrome. The combination of all these symptoms cause a person to be tired.

Again, this is how fibromyalgia sufferers describe their fatigue.

"The fatigue is so profound that it is felt more keenly than the pain."

"Some days going to the bathroom feels like a ten-mile hike."

"When it gets really bad. the only thing I can still do is switch on the TV for the children and just become a couch potato with them."

While it is true that pain and exhaustion are the two leading causes that impede people with fibromyalgia, other symptoms can be just as distressing. Anywhere between 40 to 70 percent of fibromyalgia sufferers also have irritable bowel syndrome or other gastrointestinal problems. Common problems include constipation and its opposite, diarrhea; abdominal pain; excessive gassiness; vomiting; and gastro esophagal reflux.

Many fibromyalgia sufferers are distressed by associated mental and emotional problems that manifest themselves alongside the physical ailments. Anxiety and depression are common. It is not yet known whether those factors are independent of fibromyalgia, or if they are effects spawned by the constant pain and fatigue and the social stigma associated with the disorder. People have also voiced out moments of confusion, muddled thinking and a deteriorated ability to perform tasks that require mental power. The term "fibro fog" got its name from the condition that brought it about: the mental fogginess associated with fibromyalgia.

There are other symptoms of fibromyalgia too, such as migraines, restless leg syndrome, sensitive skin and rashes, dry eyes and mouth, Reynaud's syndrome and many other neurological problems.

Fibromyalgia is an invisible disease. Sufferers look fine on the surface. However, if you look closer you will find a person who is often fatigued and riddled with pain. Fibromyalgia is a chronic illness that is, at its worst, incredibly disabling. The only way to reduce the pain and fatigue is to properly manage the symptoms. Even if the rest of your life looks bleak, rest assured that while living with fibromyalgia will be difficult, it is not impossible. Medical care and lifestyle management can make a big difference in how you feel if you are suffering from fibromyalgia.

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