Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Vs Regular Tiredness: What Makes It A Serious Medical Condition
Last Updated:
Unlike tiredness, chronic fatigue syndrome affects multiple systems in the body, often following an infection, trauma, or period of significant stress.
Everyone experiences fatigue from time to time – whether it's due to a sleepless night, a high-pressure week at work, or an emotional burnout. But for those living with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), also known as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), exhaustion goes far beyond everyday tiredness. It's a persistent, life-altering condition that affects physical, mental, and emotional well-being, often leaving individuals struggling to carry out even the simplest daily tasks. Understanding the difference between everyday fatigue and this misunderstood disorder is the first step toward greater empathy and support.
CFS is not just about feeling weary. It is a complex, long-term illness that affects multiple systems in the body, often following an infection, trauma, or period of significant stress. People with CFS experience profound, unrelenting fatigue that does not improve with rest. More importantly, this fatigue worsens after physical or mental exertion – a symptom known as post-exertional malaise (PEM).
Dr. Anubhav Bhushan Dua, Consultant, Mental Health & Behavioural Sciences, (Psychiatry), Max Super Speciality Hospital, Vaishali says, 'While a good sleep or weekend off may help the average person recover from tiredness, someone with CFS may wake up feeling not better, even after a full night's rest. Their fatigue can be so severe that it interferes with everyday activities – working, studying, socialising, or even basic self-care. Other common symptoms include cognitive dysfunction (often referred to as 'brain fog"), unrefreshing sleep, muscle or joint pain, headaches, dizziness, and irregular heart rhythms."
Another critical difference lies in diagnosis and duration. Feeling tired is usually temporary and linked to a clear cause, such as lack of sleep or overwork. Dr Dua adds, 'In contrast, CFS is diagnosed when fatigue persists for six months or longer and is accompanied by other symptoms, with no identifiable medical explanation."
The challenge with CFS is that it remains an invisible illness. Many sufferers look 'normal' from the outside, often leading to misunderstanding, scepticism, and a lack of support. This stigma can make the condition even harder to bear.
First Published:
May 14, 2025, 15:02 IST
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News18
14-05-2025
- News18
What Is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome In India, What's The Approach For Effective Treatment? Explained
Last Updated: Characterised by extreme fatigue that could last for six months, women are more likely than men to get diagnosed with CFS. Symptoms include brain fog, headaches, sore throat Feeling overtired and extreme lack of energy for weeks? You could be suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), also known as, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME). Characterised by extreme fatigue that could last for six months, CFS remains poorly understood in Indian context, where research and awareness are limited. While anyone can be affected by the syndrome, but women are more frequently diagnosed with it. What Is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome? The CFS can be complicated, with extreme fatigue in a person that lasts for at least six months and cannot be fully explained by any underlying medical condition. According to doctors, fatigue worsens with physical or mental activity in people who suffer from this condition, but it doesn't improve with rest. Most recently, the condition is termed systemic exertional intolerance disease (SEID). 'We don't see it daily. In the case of chronic fatigue syndrome, it is like a diagnosis of exclusion. We exclude all other diseases and then, at last, when we don't know where to place the patient, that is when we call it chronic fatigue syndrome," she explains. According to doctors, most forms of fatigue encountered have identifiable causes such as diabetes, cardiac conditions, cancer, to even side-effects of medications such as antibiotics. Bu there is no single test to diagnose CFS. There is a need to conduct a variety of medical tests to rule out other health problems that have similar symptoms. Additionally, the treatment focuses on improving symptoms. Due to this lack of tests, doctors often have a hard time describing this disease. This extreme exhaustion affects women twice to four times as often as men, according to several studies. It affects individuals who show no signs of thyroid dysfunction, cardiac conditions, or diabetes. Some experts have also found viral infections to be the known triggers. Viruses such as the Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus, other herpes group infections and long Covid have been known to act as triggers, as per a Hindu report. However, what causes this unknown condition that typically affects women between the ages of 25 to 45 years is still not known. Health experts maintain that it can affect adolescents and children as well. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that 836,000 to 2.5 million Americans suffer from CFS. However, the majority of them are undiagnosed. Reportedly, the United States loses between US$9 to 25 billion each year in reduced productivity and medical expenses due to CFS. However, statistics on this condition in India are limited. What Does The WHO Say? According to the World Health Organization (WHO), CFS is primarily considered a neurological disorder, as it involves abnormalities in brain function and the nervous system, particularly in the regulation of neurochemicals that influence energy, pain tolerance, and mood. In India, the condition often goes underdiagnosed or misattributed to lifestyle factors, nutritional deficiencies like vitamin B12 or iron, or even psychiatric issues due to a lack of widespread awareness and limited dedicated programmes or policies. Despite being a significant problem, CFS is not yet a public health priority in India, though awareness has started rising after the Covid-19, especially in urban areas. What Are The Symptoms? People suffering from this condition can have a hard time doing very basic physical acts. According to doctors, chronic fatigue syndrome usually has the most common symptom of fatigue, especially after physical or mental exercise. When a person suffers from CFS, they feel very tired and exhausted symptoms persist for more than six months. There are also symptoms like memory issues and brain fog, headaches, sore throat, enlarged lymph nodes in the neck and armpits, and muscle and joint pains. There are difficulties in focus and also dizziness while getting up from lying down or sitting. Moreover, the diseases which cause similar symptoms like anaemia, diabetes, and thyroid diseases are ruled out by the doctor before labeling a person as CFS. Some diseases like fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, depression, and sleep disorders may coexist with CFS. CFS can lead to sleep disorders where a person feels sleep all the time but is unable to sleep and does not feel fresh after a sleep. He could experience intense and vivid dreaming, restlessness, night-time muscle spasm and sleep apnea. They can also experience gastrointestinal problems, nightsweats, muscle weakness, shortness of breath, anxiety or panic attacks and low-grade fever. Diagnosis And Treatment There is a lack of specific tests for diagnosing CFS, which has forced patients to remain untreated and live with pain for years. There are instances in which a doctor has witnessed only 4-5 cases of CFS in a decade in India. According to doctors and health experts, there is no specific cure or treatment for CFS. However, symptoms that are most problematic are addressed first. A report by The Financial Express said in order to diagnose CFS symptoms of chronic fatigue are important. And that sleep does not relieve the symptom of fatigue; different body aches and pain are there that are not explained by any other health condition. Thus, treatment such as psychological counselling, adequate health supplements such as vitamin E, and vitamin D sometimes help to overcome the weakness and improve overall well-being. A good, healthy diet and regular physical exercise, yoga, and meditation can also help the patient to come out of the chronic fatigue syndrome. Since the causes of CFS are still unknown, it is difficult to prevent. tags : fatigue mental health News18 Explains Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: May 14, 2025, 16:25 IST News explainers What Is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome In India, What's The Approach For Effective Treatment? Explained
News18
14-05-2025
- News18
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Vs Regular Tiredness: What Makes It A Serious Medical Condition
Last Updated: Unlike tiredness, chronic fatigue syndrome affects multiple systems in the body, often following an infection, trauma, or period of significant stress. Everyone experiences fatigue from time to time – whether it's due to a sleepless night, a high-pressure week at work, or an emotional burnout. But for those living with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), also known as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), exhaustion goes far beyond everyday tiredness. It's a persistent, life-altering condition that affects physical, mental, and emotional well-being, often leaving individuals struggling to carry out even the simplest daily tasks. Understanding the difference between everyday fatigue and this misunderstood disorder is the first step toward greater empathy and support. CFS is not just about feeling weary. It is a complex, long-term illness that affects multiple systems in the body, often following an infection, trauma, or period of significant stress. People with CFS experience profound, unrelenting fatigue that does not improve with rest. More importantly, this fatigue worsens after physical or mental exertion – a symptom known as post-exertional malaise (PEM). Dr. Anubhav Bhushan Dua, Consultant, Mental Health & Behavioural Sciences, (Psychiatry), Max Super Speciality Hospital, Vaishali says, 'While a good sleep or weekend off may help the average person recover from tiredness, someone with CFS may wake up feeling not better, even after a full night's rest. Their fatigue can be so severe that it interferes with everyday activities – working, studying, socialising, or even basic self-care. Other common symptoms include cognitive dysfunction (often referred to as 'brain fog"), unrefreshing sleep, muscle or joint pain, headaches, dizziness, and irregular heart rhythms." Another critical difference lies in diagnosis and duration. Feeling tired is usually temporary and linked to a clear cause, such as lack of sleep or overwork. Dr Dua adds, 'In contrast, CFS is diagnosed when fatigue persists for six months or longer and is accompanied by other symptoms, with no identifiable medical explanation." The challenge with CFS is that it remains an invisible illness. Many sufferers look 'normal' from the outside, often leading to misunderstanding, scepticism, and a lack of support. This stigma can make the condition even harder to bear. First Published: May 14, 2025, 15:02 IST
