Eight Symptoms That Spell F-I-B-R-O-M-Y-A-L-G-I-A

Fibromyalgia, yes; feels like flu…but it isn’t!  Pain all over your body, headaches, muscles feeling cramped and weak, tender points on  arms, legs, and probably on the neck and shoulders, too.  Morning stiffness that makes it hard for you to get out of bed; much less move.  Numbness or tingling in your hands and feet; plus some moments of memory fail.  These are big arghs which we often blame on flu or on getting old; but it actually could be, might be, fibromyalgia!

What’s that? 

Hard to spell and hard to pronounce, it’s a lot easier to just forget it!  But, it’s worth our time to understand this kind of disorder that causes much muscle pain and fatigue… and which we often associate with things familiar and less scary like flu.  Well, it isn’t some kind of ache that would easily go away after taking some paracetamol or pain-relievers.  But what is known is better than knowing none at all!

So here it goes…

• Feelings of weakness/fatigue
• Body aches and pain
• Cramped and throbbing muscles
• Too frequent headaches and migraines
• Morning stiffness and difficulty with rising
• Having difficulty with sleep, sometimes have itchy, burning feeling on skin
• Digestive system malfunction / disorders
• Foggy mindset and balance problems

Yes, it might not be flu at all!  It could be fibromyalgia!  It could be a disorder that causes much muscle pain and stabbing aches worsened by a feeling of general weakness.  You might find yourself self-medicating for the wrong illness; totally ignorant that it might be more than a simple flu.

You might be suffering from sudden extreme pain throughout your body’s muscles, ligaments and tendons, the kind of pain that seems to seep deep inside your bones; have some tender points, which, when touched could be painful.  You could be experiencing acute fatigue and you wonder where all your energy has gone.  Not to mention the mental blocks or lapses that pisses you especially when you need your brains much!

You see, Fibromyalgia is indicative of pain all over the body; and if you are working, you just might have to take that much needed break of at least two weeks from constant physical and mental push to get through every day of work.  Such symptoms could be debilitating and who else should look after yourself more than yourself?

Research shows more studies are being done about the fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), as the medical world don’t have a complete picture of it as yet.  However, many experts believe that the condition is brought about by complex and abnormal responses to stress or traumatic events, like accidents, injuries, or certain diseases that somehow involve genes and genetic predispositions.  Records show that about 3 to 5 percent of the general population are affected by fibromyalgia and it occurs in people of all ages, especially those between 40-60; but, more women are diagnosed with it than men.  If what you are undergoing somehow makes you work-disabled and more stressed, it is advised that you go and promptly see your physician – right away!