Why Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Is Not Just Being Tired

…and other stories from this week’s health news:

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, beyond being chronically fatigued

We’ve written before how chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), also called myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), is not just a case of being tired all the time.

CFS/ME is a complex neurological illness: it’s not just chronic fatigue but rather a condition affecting nearly every system in the body, involving muscle pain, brain inflammation, and most notably, fatigue and post-exertional malaise; furthermore, this fatigue isn’t relieved by rest, and symptoms worsen after even minor physical or mental effort.

And yes, it is physical in nature; neuroimaging and biological studies show measurable physical changes in brain function, metabolism, immune response, and circulation.

Women are disproportionately affected; CFS/ME occurs 2–3 times more often in women and is typically diagnosed in middle age, and as such, it has suffered from a dearth of research compared to many conditions. While we don’t for sure know the cause, we do know that it often follows infectious disease, and COVID is definitely high on the list (though far from the only culprit).

Read in full: It’s not just “chronic fatigue”: Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome is much more than being tired

Related: Support For Long COVID & Chronic Fatigue

Does your healthcare provider have your back?

When it comes to lower back pain, most people recover quickly without treatment, but a sizeable minority of people develop long-term disability.

So, while it is common that it might be examined and “this is fine; rest it and take some ibuprofen”, it’s also important to take it seriously too.

Some guideline-issuing bodies such as NICE (National Institute of Care Excellence) recommend using a questionnaire to identify patients least likely to recover naturally so they can receive intensive care; however, recent studies have questioned whether this targeted approach is more effective than standard care, and found that the answer is “no”.

NICE also advises against opioids for short-term back pain but still allows weak opioids like codeine if NSAIDs can’t be used; this ambiguity can sometimes lead to inappropriate opioid use, despite 2023 evidence showing stronger opioids are ineffective anyway.

This is a report from the UK, but of course the science is the same everywhere, and when it comes to processes, it’s important for us all to know enough to be able to advocate for ourselves rather than blindly trust:

Read in full: Why your doctor may not have given you the best advice for your lower back pain

Related: Get The Right Help For Your Pain

More deadly outbreaks in the wake of food safety testing being axed

In the latest listeria outbreak, deaths have so far “only” been reported in IL, MI, and TX, but hospitalizations have spanned 13 states and the recall is nationwide.

As for where it came from, the exact contamination source is unknown; cases were linked using shopper records and patient interviews, which is the best we can get these days, although it wasn’t like this previously:

❝The strain of listeria bacteria that made people sick was found in a sample of chicken fettuccine Alfredo during a routine inspection in March [before the suspension of quality control testing], US agriculture department officials said. That product was destroyed and never sent to stores.❞

Normally, any further contaminated products would have been caught in exactly the same way and much more would be known about it, but since funding was cut in April and quality control testing suspended, it’s largely been a “we’re on our own” scenario for consumers since then.

The currently recalled items are:

• 32.8oz Marketside Grilled Chicken Alfredo with best-by dates of 27 June or earlier
• 12.3oz Marketside Grilled Chicken Alfredo with broccoli, with best-by dates of 26 June or earlier
• 12.5oz Home Chef Heat & Eat Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo with best-by dates of 19 June or earlier

…however, it is worth being vigilant in general, and avoiding products that are particularly prone to contamination.

Read in full: Deadly US listeria outbreak linked to chicken dishes at Kroger and Walmart

Related: After The Recent Wave Of Food Recalls…

Take care!