Fibromyalgia.... Fibro my what ya?

I have finally had a chance to post on this. I had told a progressiveu member who responded to my Lupus blog that I would research it and I did.

Fibromyalgia is another "chronic condition" that many people have no clue about. The main thing you feel when you have this disease is constant pain all over the body. The person also feels extremely fatigued. You have pain in areas such as muscles, ligaments, tendons and many points on your body often feel "tender" to the touch. These symptoms probably will never go away completely depending on how extreme the case may be. But it is a very good thing to know that Fibromyagia is not a threat to your life and it doesn't get worse as time goes on.

Other symptoms include: headaches, consipation, diarrhea, chest pain, mood changes, depression, hard time concentrating, dizziness, anxiety, dry eyes, mouth and skin. This sounds like something I have....hmm. But anyways...

Fibromyalgia is more common in women than men. ( apparently like every disease known to humans...women have to get it) The cause is unknown, but is believed to be caused by the brain's neurons becoming overly sensitive to pain. I would say more research probably needs to be done on this chronic illness before we all will really know what the cause is.

Risk factors are normally geared towards people in their early and middle adult life. Family history also plays a huge role in Fibromyalia like most illnesses. Also the weird thing I found was Fibromyalia occurs in people who have "rheumatoid" arthritis or people who suffer from Lupus. I would make sure to check for Lupus by doing a blood test just in case.

This illness can cause lack of sleep and depression, which may affect your work envirnoment, family life and social life.

Diagnosis is a very hard to determine. But Doctors can use ways to tell if a person has Fibromyalgia. A neurologist has found Fibromyalgia more often than any other doctor. When you have a illness such as Fibromyalgia, you normally go to a variety of different doctors, such as a rhuematologist, gyno, and family doctor. One of these doctors can properly diagnosis you. It seems that a neurologist seems to be the best for diagnosis. Two recent tests have been a good source of diagnosis. A blood pressure test and a hair analysis has also been used recently to diagnosis this condition.

Since not alot of research has been done on this illness, and alot of doctors claim that this isn't a illness at all, people suffering from Fibromyalgia are left in the dark until new research has been developed.

Some treatment for Fibromyalgia are normal pain relievers such as; Tylenol, Advil, asprin, and Tramadol which is a prescription pain reliever. Sleeping pills have been known to help and also Muscle relaxants.

Taking care of yourself or someone who has Fibramyalgia is important to cope with the illness. Try to reduce stress levels as much as possiable, but don't change your normally daily tasks because this can worsen the illness. Make sure you or the person you are helping gets a good amount of sleep. Since they are quite tired this can help them feel more alert. By exercising often this can improve symptoms. Although it may seem not to yield much benefit, this will help over time with the pain. Don't over do it. If you do to much you may end up having more bad days than good ones. Last but not least eat healthy, limit your caffeine, live your life, and do the things that you love to do.

Don't let this illness take you over. I hope this has been benefical. I would write more but it is 6 in the morning and I need some sleep. Thanks for reading!

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fibromyalgia/DS00079/DSECTION=1
http://www.fibromyalgia-symptoms.org/fibromyalgia_tests.html