Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Our bodies do a lot of work. From a microscopic perspective, each of the 100 trillion cells is a seething, roiling, bubbling dynamo of activity, manufacturing, processing and secreting countless chemicals per second. At the macro level, the various systems and structures of body are endlessly organizing, metabolizing, growing, dividing, respirating, pumping, digesting and excreting.

If you throw mental and emotional activity into the mix, it’s understandable that, after a certain amount of time, the system will just get burnt out. Under normal conditions, that occurs at the end of the end of the day, at which point we’ll head to bed, turn down our blankets, plump up our pillows to renew and refresh with a good’s nights rest. Or maybe, if it’s the middle of the day, we can replenish our energy stores with a little catnap.

But for many people that’s not enough. There are millions of men and women who are always exhausted. They go to bed tired and wake up that way even after a full night’s sleep, remaining weary throughout the whole day. These unfortunate folks are chronically fatigued, sometimes so severely that their ability to participate in life activities can be dramatically reduced. Some are so affected that they have trouble keeping jobs and relationships. Others can be severely disabled and even bedridden. Doctors call this condition Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or CFS, and in addition to feeling persistently pooped 24/7, it’s marked by a complex of health issues including headache, flu-like symptoms, muscle soreness and joint pain.

Researchers estimate that up to 4 million people in the United States meet official government criteria for the diagnosis of CFS at a cost of up to 24 billion dollars a year. Though recently it has become a household term, it’s by no means a modern-day phenomenon; reports of illness that fit the description of chronic fatigue syndrome go back as far as 1750. In the 19th century the term “neurasthenia”, or nervous exhaustion, was applied to symptoms resembling CFS. From the 1930s through the 1950s, outbreaks of disease marked by prolonged fatigue were reported in the United States and many other countries. And, beginning in the early to mid-1980s, interest in chronic fatigue syndrome was revived by reports in U.S. and other countries of various outbreaks of long-term debilitating symptoms resembling CFS.

If you’re dealing with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and you’re seeing a doctor, there’s not much he can do except perhaps to rule out a serious cause like a brain disease or perhaps cancer. There’s no real medical strategy for dealing with CFS itself, although not surprisingly drugs are sometimes prescribed. Anti-depressants are typically used and occasionally stimulants. Some alternative-minded physicians have even been known to try hydrogen peroxide IV’s, enemas and liver extract, all with less than stellar success.

Perhaps the most important consideration when it comes to CFS, involves sluggish circulation. In fact, all long-term degenerative health issues may have some component of sticky blood. According to David Berg, Clinical Pathologist and Co-founder of Hemex Laboratories, a blood research and testing facility in Phoenix Arizona, all chronic illnesses have an element of elevated blood viscosity (a sign of toxicity). According to Berg, when patients are placed on heparin and other blood thinners their conditions tend to improve. When you consider the fact that via circulation the delivery of energizing oxygen and nutrients and the elimination of energy-sucking toxins is facilitated, it makes sense for CFS sufferers to focus on the blood system to improve their symptomology.

Best bet for chronic fatigue, or even if you don’t have CFS and just want to feel more energized, is to follow basic principles of circulatory health. Since the major point of entry for blood-clogging substances to get into the circulation is in the small intestine, it’s wise to focus on food and digestion. Also, it takes lots of energy to run your digestive system. After eating anything, even non-problem foods, fatigue can set in for CFS and non-CFS sufferers alike, especially processed carbs, cereals and sweets. That means caloric restriction and eating less food may provide benefits.

Drink more water, it’ll dilute your blood sugar and reduce the likelihood of hypoglycemia, a low blood sugar state that can contribute to fatigue. Also ingested H20 will increase blood volume and improve circulation to the brain which can help improve energy levels.

Nutritional supplements can help too, particularly Magnesium and Vitamin C, which have blood purifying properties and can improve perfusion. An amino acid called tyrosine can act like a nutritional version of caffeine. Eating enzyme-rich, fresh veggies, playing sports, and supplemental systemic and digestive enzymes can support chemical processes and make it easier for the body to do its work.

Practicing relaxation techniques and deep slow breathing is important. O2 is a primary cellular fuel. Since hypoxia (low blood oxygen) ensues fatigue, usually the symptoms of CFS follow, especially muscle and joint problems.