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Understanding the Symptoms and Causes of Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia, also known as fibrositis, is a condition that results in pain in the tissues and muscles at different points in the body. People suffering from fibromyalgia have trigger points throughout the body that pain when they apply pressure to them. This includes particular places on the neck, shoulders, chest, arms, hips, and legs and these hurt when any pressure is applied to them. You may also face persistent tiredness, sleeplessness, and mood swings.

People with lupus and certain types of arthritis are more susceptible to the disease. If the pain in trigger points persists for over three months, you should consult your doctor. The syndrome has been disputed in the past since it is hard for it to be objectively ascertained. However, today the stigma of the disease has lessened considerably.

The symptoms of fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia syndrome is primarily characterized by pain in certain trigger points. The common trigger points are the neck, shoulders, hips, chest, outer elbows, and the knees. Apart from pain, people with fibromyalgia may also face:

Sleeplessness
Fatigue
Problems involving memory and cognition
Headaches
Irritable bowel syndrome
Painful cramps during periods
Restless legs syndrome
Numbness and tingling in the hands and feet
Sensitivity to temperature, loud noises, or bright lights
Depression and anxiety

Fatigue in fibromyalgia is more than just general tiredness. Besides a persistent feeling of tiredness, you may feel tired despite getting sufficient sleep. The sleep you get may be light sleep. Studies have shown that people suffering from fibromyalgia have difficulty in getting deep sleep. The fatigue experienced may extend even to ordinary day to day activities such as exercise, shopping, or going out for a walk.

You may feel tired just after waking up in the morning and experience stiffness in the back, arms, and legs. This is not the usual stiffness in the morning but may last for a duration of 15 minutes or more. In fact, this may be similar to the stiffness faced by patients of certain types of arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Different causes of fibromyalgia
The causes of fibromyalgia are not precisely known. However, studies have shown that certain factors might be linked to the syndrome. Some common causes of fibromyalgia are as follows:

Genetic
When a family member has had this condition, the chances of your getting it is higher. However, the genes responsible for the same haven’t been identified yet. When a person with such a history is faced with certain emotional or physical trauma, he may react differently to such changes and the increased stress that these result in. Genetic factors is one of the most common causes of fibromyalgia

Trauma
People who have undergone any kind of physical trauma or emotional trauma may be susceptible to this condition as it is one of the causes of fibromyalgia. It may also result from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Trauma may result from incidents such as a car crash, traumatic falls, incidents of violence, serving in the war, and so on. People suffering from fibromyalgia may also have suffered a lot of severe emotional and physical trauma in the past.

Stress
Stress is also one of the common causes of fibromyalgia. Stress may result in a hormonal imbalance which may lead to the development of fibromyalgia. The after-effects of stress and trauma may last for years.

Illness
Prior illness or infection, such as Lyme disease, viral infection, lupus, and arthritis, has also been known to be causes of fibromyalgia. According to a theory, fibromyalgia may result from the lower levels of a neurotransmitter known as serotonin. Serotonin is usually related to a calming, anxiety-reducing impact. The reduced levels of serotonin may be linked to a lower threshold for pain and hence fibromyalgia. Men, in fact, produce serotonin at a much faster rate than women. Fibromyalgia is known to affect more women than men. Another theory says that fibromyalgia results from hormonal changes in the body, such as during menopause. However, the above theories, like others regarding this syndrome, are not backed by sound research.

Most people suffering from fibromyalgia are also victims of insomnia and sleeplessness. Formerly, depression was thought to be one of the causes of fibromyalgia. However, that is not the case today. Fibromyalgia, due to the related sleep problems, consistent pain, and fatigue can also result in and aggravate feelings of anxiety and depression.

A couple of known triggers
Certain factors are known to trigger the fibromyalgia syndrome. These include genetic history, menopause, poor health, or trauma resulting from an illness or accident. As stated above, according to a study, the syndrome affects more women than men. Some women may also have fibromyalgia with certain other diseases, such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.

Today, medications for fibromyalgia, such as Lyrica and Savella are available. A combination of pain-relieving medications, lifestyle changes in the form of diet and exercise, and keeping stress under check is recommended to deal with fibromyalgia. Managing sleep appropriately and undergoing therapy to deal with stress may also help in the case of fibromyalgia.

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