Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) causes extreme unexplained fatigue that is not improved by sleeping and may become worse after physical or mental exertion. There is no blood test or scan for diagnosis, so it’s typically diagnosed if you have fatigue accompanied by at least four of the eight following symptoms, and last for at least six months:[i]
- Post-exertion malaise lasting more than 24 hours
- Unrefreshing sleep
- Significant impairment of short-term memory or concentration
- Muscle pain
- Pain in the joints without swelling or redness
- Headaches of a new type, pattern, or severity
- Tender lymph nodes in the neck or armpit
- A sore throat that is frequent or recurring
People with chronic fatigue syndrome also tend to experience a range of other symptoms, including:[ii]
| Irritable bowel | Depression or other psychological problems | Chills and night sweats |
| Visual disturbances | Brain fog | Difficulty maintaining upright position |
| Dizziness and balance problems | Fainting | Allergies or sensitivities to foods, odors, chemicals, medications or noise |
It wasn’t long ago that CFS was unrecognized in the United States, and patients were commonly told their symptoms were “all in their head.” While it is now a recognized disorder, conventional medicine is still at a loss for a cure. Most physicians are also unaware of what causes CFS …
According to the CDC, chronic fatigue syndrome may be the result of infections, immune dysfunction, low blood pressure, nutritional deficiency, or stress that activates the HPA axis (where the hypothalamus, pituitary and adrenal glands interact).[iii]
In Europe, however, chronic fatigue is called myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), or muscle pain caused by brain swelling.
Why Chronic Fatigue is Called Myalgic Encephalomyelitis in Europe
If you have been diagnosed with CFS in the U.S., there’s a good chance you’ve never heard of myalgic encephalomyelitis, but you should have. These two conditions are now recognized as similar, maybe even the same, with the same primary symptoms: unrelenting fatigue. WebMD explains:
“ … the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health states that “[T]oday, CFS is also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis, postviral fatigue syndrome, and chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction syndrome.” ME/CFS is now recognized as part of a range of illnesses that have fatigue as a major symptom.
ME/CFS is not rare. The CDC estimates that there are as many as 500,000 persons in the United States who have CFS-like symptoms. However, the disorder remains debilitating, complex and mysterious in origin, natural history, understanding and treatment.”
Here’s what else you must know … CFS and ME appear to be inflammatory in nature! According to the Journal of Affective Disorders:[iv]
“There is evidence that inflammatory pathways and cell-mediated immunity (CMI) play an important role in the pathophysiology of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS). Activation of inflammatory and CMI pathways, including increased levels of cytokines, is known to induce fatigue and somatic symptoms.
… The findings show that ME/CFS is characterized by low-grade inflammation and activation of CMI. The results suggest that characteristic symptoms of ME/CFS, such as fatigue, autonomic symptoms and a flu-like malaise, may be caused by inflammatory mediators, e.g. IL-1 and TNFα.”
And according to William Wong, ND:[v]
“Chronic Fatigue is actually a name for what the disease brings. Only in Europe is a true name for Chronic Fatigue used: Myalgic Enchaphilitis or Brain Swelling caused Muscle Pain. With CF patients there is a brain swelling that triggers the rest of the disease.
CFS typically has many things attributed to being the root cause of the disease from Mononucleosis (Epstein Barr Virus), to Post Polio Syndrome in those of us that received the live Sabin polio inoculation. The Mono, initial Polio and Post Polio all have a brain inflammation associated with the condition.”
If You Have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, You’ve Got to Address the Inflammation!
There are many ways to keep inflammation in check – like an anti-inflammatory diet consisting of inflammation-fighting food, drinks and herbal supplements – but if you have CFS, you need to replenish your body’s natural supply of proteolytic enzymes, which have an unsurpassed ability to fight chronic inflammation. They operate on a “lock-and-key” basis, which means they can recognize good prostaglandins from bad prostaglandins (prostaglandins are hormone-like substances involved in inflammation).
When proteolytic enzymes’ teeth fit into a ‘bad’ prostaglandin that’s already run its course and has no more use, they dispose of it to let the GOOD prostaglandin come in and get rid of the inflammation. Proteolytic enzymes are naturally produced in your pancreas, but your natural production declines with age; these inflammation-busters become largely depleted as you hit 30 and over. Dr. Wong further explains:[vi]
“As we age our production of proteolytic enzymes decreases. There are only two products the body makes finite amounts of dopamine and proteolytic enzymes. Half of a person’s production of proteolytic enzymes are used up by the age of 25, that’s part of the reason we feel invincible at that age – our own enzymes are controlling inflammation. By 27 our bodies figure out that if we maintain that level of enzyme output we’d be dead by the time we got to 40.
… So the body begins to dole out the enzymes with an eyedropper instead of with a tablespoon to stretch out the store of enzymes for as long as we can and it is the downturn in enzyme availability that causes an increase in inflammation, as proteolytic enzymes are the body’s first line of defense against inflammation.”
Fortunately, there’s Heal-n-Soothe, the best systemic enzyme formula to replenish your body’s supply of vital enzymes. Heal-n-Soothe not only gives you the healing power of proteolytic enzymes in a convenient capsule but it also goes where no other proteolytic supplement has or will with 12 additional proven anti-inflammatory ingredients. If you have chronic fatigue syndrome, don’t wait. Try systemic enzyme therapy now.
[i] CDC, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
[ii] CDC, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
[iii] CDC, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
[iv] J Affect Disord. 2012 Feb;136(3):933-9.
[vi] SystemicEnzymes.net
