Fibromyalgia Symptoms – Covered Up As Flu
Fibromyalgia afflicts approximately 5% of the population. The majority of these are women. Fibromyalgia is a syndrome. The most common Fibromyalgia symptoms and diagnostic tool are the widespread pain. The pain associated with fibromyalgia can range in intensity from mild to severe. The severe end of the spectrum can be debilitating and disabling. In its milder forms, fibromyalgia is similar to the flu. The muscles and other soft tissues of the body just ache constantly.
Although pain is the main symptom of fibromyalgia, it is by no means the only symptom. Fibromyalgia, like other chronic pain syndromes, has a variety of symptoms associated with it. The first of these is fatigue. People afflicted with fibromyalgia often feel tired all the time. Upon waking from a night’s sleep, they do not feel rested. Sleep is the body’s way of regenerating. However, if the sleep is disturbed too often and the body is never allowed to enter into the deep restorative stage, then fatigue is inevitable.
Chronic headaches are another common symptom of fibromyalgia. Typically, patients with fibromyalgia suffer from either tension headaches, migraines or a combination of both. Tension headaches are caused by the tensing of the muscles in the neck region. The muscle tension spreads until it eventually enters the temples. Migraines can affect any part of the head. They can also move from side to side. Migraines are caused by the constriction and sudden dilation of the blood vessels in the brain. As the vessels constrict blood flow is slowed. Once the vessels dilate, the blood rushes back causing pain.
A less common, but extremely frightening symptom of fibromyalgia is called costochondritis. Costochondritis is the inflammation of the seven bits of cartilage between the sternum and the rib cage. This inflammation is often accompanied by sharp chest pains that mimic cardiac problems such as a heart attack or stroke. The pain can cause anxiety which contributes to the fear of a heart attack.
Constochondritis can last for months and chronic conditions are not unusual for fibromyalgia patients.
Forget everything you thought you knew about fibromyalgia symptoms. This website fibromyalgia symptoms shatters all the current myths and gives it to you straight