Fibromyalgia is one of the most frequently misdiagnosed, misunderstood and debated medical conditions the human body can suffer from. Initially believed to be a form of depression, Fibromyalgia is even today not considered to be a stand-alone medical condition by too many professionals in this field.
Even if statistics show that 5 million people in the United States of America suffer from this syndrome and even if there are a lot of celebrities even who have openly spoken about Fibromyalgia, there are still many doctors who will not even take it into consideration when it comes to putting a diagnosis.
And yet, Fibromyalgia is just as real as the banal flu, as HIV, as cancer and as any other medical condition you can think of. We may not yet be able to explain it, but the millions of people living with it stand as proof over the fact that it does exist and that it does affect so many lives.
Life with Fibromyalgia
The most commonly encountered Fibromyalgia symptom is widespread pain. This is a type of diffuse pain that can affect multiple areas of one’s body (sometimes, at once). Unlike arthritis pain, for example, the pain experienced in the case of Fibromyalgia is not localized in most of the cases.
Living with Fibromyalgia can be a tough job. Some people openly admit that they have been bedridden for years. Some have managed to get back on their feet too. And others experience milder symptoms, which, nevertheless, make them unable to live their lives normally. Some have had to leave their work behind, others are finding it difficult to cope with everyday routine activities. Fibromyalgia can really affect one’s life a lot, but the main thing to keep in mind is related to the fact that everyone can experience this syndrome differently.
Fibromyalgia patients do not only get used to the pain that covers their bodies, but to an entire array of other symptoms too. Very frequently, they sleep badly (due to insomnia, restless leg syndrome and so on). Their bladder and bowels are very sensitive. They experience tension headaches and migraines. They experience swelling, sensitivity to light, odors and other stimuli, they wake up stiff, and, in the worst cases, experience short-term memory issues and low levels of concentration. Numbness and tingling, sensitivity of the jaw and facial tenderness can all appear as well. And, on top of everything, depression and anxiety are real big issues for the Fibromyalgia patients too, especially because the lowering of quality of their lifestyle is definitely not something to make depression feel better (on the contrary).
Sadly, we do not know how to cure Fibromyalgia and we do not know its causes. For the entire medical world out there, this syndrome is still very much of a riddle and the answers related to how it develops in the human body fail to come.
What Treatment Is There for Fibromyalgia?
Treating Fibromyalgia is mainly focused on treating its varying symptoms. Since different people can show different symptoms under Fibromyalgia, the treatment may differ as well. The FDA has approved certain types of drugs to treat this syndrome: Lyrica, Cymbalta and Savella (which is actually the first drug that was introduced from the very beginning as a treatment to Fibromyalgia).
Furthermore, there are symptoms people show that have to be treated with other types of medication (medication for sleeping issues, medication for the irritable bowel and so on). Recently, naltrexone has been found to be able to help Fibromyalgia patients too. Although this drug was initially administered in the case of the people who were addicted to alcohol or drugs, research has shown that it can help Fibromyalgia patients by reducing their pain, their stress levels and their fatigue as well.
In addition to medication, a change in lifestyle will have to occur too. Exercising regularly, healthy eating and a generally healthy lifestyle are extremely important when it comes to keeping this syndrome and its symptoms under control and they can really make the entire difference.
Can Fibromyalgia Be Prevented?
Preventing a medical condition usually involves knowing what is causing it and avoiding those causes. However, with Fibromyalgia actually preventing the syndrome from happening is not possible at the moment precisely because we don’t know its causes.
There is a series of risk factors you may want to take into consideration if you want to avoid Fibromyalgia. Some of them are not fully avoidable (such as the fact that women tend to have Fibromyalgia more often than men or such as the fact that Fibromyalgia tends to run in the family), but others can be more successfully managed. For instance, research has shown that people who suffer from sleep disorders (insomnia, sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome and so on) are more likely to develop Fibromyalgia too. Managing your sleep issues with medication and natural remedies may help you prevent Fibromyalgia for as much as possible.
Furthermore, a generally healthy life can help too. Here are some tips on helping your body function in its normal parameters:
Exercise regularly. If you suffer from any kind of chronic pain, do this under the supervision of a physical therapist. Also, do keep in mind the fact that “exercising” is not necessarily synonymous with “gym”. There are plenty of types of workouts you may enjoy more – pick one up and stick to it!
Sleep well. It is very important that you don’t ruin your biorhythm with bad sleeping and with falling asleep very late every night because sooner or later that will come back to haunt you.
Drink water. Say goodbye to soda and have your 8 glasses of water every day because they are healthier than any other drink and they will provide you with the hydration your body needs so much!
Eat healthy. Lean meats, healthy fats (nuts, seeds, vegetable oils, avocado and so on) and complex carbohydrates are the key to maintaining a healthy diet. Take these into consideration and it is less likely that you develop a wide range of medical conditions.
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