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People with chronic fatigue syndrome face many troubling issues. First, they must cope with the symptoms of the syndrome. Second, they have to deal with an illness whose cause remains mystifying. Third, their illness has no specific tests. Fourth, it doesn't have specific treatment. chronic fatigue syndrome, therefore, is a great burden to those who have it.

As the name implies, it's fatigue, not the ordinary tiredness that comes from not sleeping or working too long and too hard. It's an overwhelming fatigue that makes any effort a gigantic challenge, and it's a fatigue that rest and sleep do not resolve.

In addition to fatigue, people have disturbed sleep. They might have joint and muscle pain, their memory is often not as good as it was, lymph nodes frequently enlarge and become tender and headaches are common.

I find that if you are unable to sleep at night because of the more uncomfortable symptoms, laying down in a warm and dark room helps. Lay on your back and relax your whole body. If you are having trouble with this, tense every muscle one by one, and then completely relax. Breath through your mouth deeply, but concentrate more on breathing out. Maybe listen to a relaxation tape? Rain always helps!

- If you absolutely have to go out (such as if you are a single parent looking after young children, or maybe it's a celebration and you are dreading the many birthdays there are to come in the months ahead!) do NOT be afraid of purchasing a wheelchair! These help alot of patients get out and about when they are too tired or in too much discomfort to walk, and I have heard it is extremely amusing seeing the look on peoples faces in a grocery store when you casually pop out of your wheelchair to reach the high shelf with the milk on it!

There will be times when you feel alot better, even if its just for an hour or two. Use this time to go for a walk in the park, or shopping, or even just enjoying a sit down in your garden. This really will make you better in the long run and you will find these 'feeling well' times repeating themselves more often.

- If you are feeling sick, or have similar discomfort in your stomach, do not be tempted to stop eating. I find a piece of toast with peanut butter helps no end! Your stomach may just be feeling abit more sensitive to being empty now, so a small (plain!) snack will calm it right down. Remember though, watch your weight and don't always eat toast with peanut butter, I did this for a long while and it isn't really the most nutritious of diets! Despite feeling ill, eat your normal diet regardless. (I always keep a packet of ant-acid/indigestion tablets with me too, these can be very helpful with digestive discomfort)

- Do not be afraid to sleep as much as you want if you can, this will only do you good.

Some experts theorize that the syndrome might come from a disruption of the normal coordination that exists between the pituitary and adrenal glands. Others feel it's an inappropriate activation of the immune system. No one knows for sure what the cause is.

There has been no break through in treatment. Supervised exercise with a gradual increase in its intensity is important. Chronic fatigue patients find exertion difficult. therefore, they become deconditioned, and that adds to the problems of the syndrome. That's why exercise is important. Medicines such as Elavil can restore refreshing sleep to some patients. Patients should not take long naps during the day. Those naps can make nighttime sleep more fragmented. Chronic fatigue syndrome is disruptive, but it is not fatal. That's one upside to the syndrome.

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