What Is Fibromyalgia?

Contents:

• Medical Video: What is fibromyalgia and how is it treated?
  
• What are the symptoms of fibromyalgia?
  
• What causes fibromyalgia?
  
• How is fibromyalgia diagnosed?
  
• What are the treatments for fibromyalgia?
  
• Drug
  
• Therapy
  
• Lifestyle changes
  
• How to deal with fibromyalgia?
  

Medical Video: What is fibromyalgia and how is it treated?

Fibromyalgia is a long-term medical disorder that causes pain throughout the body, which interferes with daily activities. This condition is also called fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). As many as 1 in 20 people may have fibromyalgia with varying degrees of severity. Fibromyalgia sufferers often face sleep disorders, memory, moods, and often feel tired. In addition, people with fibromyagia usually experience other conditions such as headaches, temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ), irritable bowel syndrome, susceptibility to anxiety and depression.

What are the symptoms of fibromyalgia?

Symptoms of fibromyalgia can appear postoperatively, physical trauma, infection, or significant psychological stress. In some cases, symptoms can gradually get worse even though there is no trigger at all.

Symptoms of fibromyalgia that may appear are:

• The spread of pain is characterized by constant pain that lasts at least 3 months. This pain attacks both sides of your body, including the area above and below your waist.
• Fatigue is often experienced by fibromyalgia sufferers. The reason is, people with fibromyalgia often wake up from sleep due to the pain that is felt, so the quality and hours of sleep are reduced for a long period of time.
• Cognitive impairment. Symptoms commonly referred to as "fibro fog" can interfere with a person's ability to focus and concentrate mentally.

Pain and lack of sleep experienced by patients will interfere with their activities at home and work. Many patients complain of headaches, depression, anxiety, and cramps in the stomach. Lack of sleep can trigger such disorders restless legs syndrome and sleep apnea.

What causes fibromyalgia?

Some scientists believe that changes in chemicals in the brain are responsible for the appearance of fibromyalgia. These changes affect the central nervous system which processes pain signals in the body and strengthens the pain.

Meanwhile, several other scientists say that the factors that cause fibromyalgia are:

• Genetics. Fibromyalgia revolves in the family tree. This condition indicates that fibromyalgia is inherited from parents. The risk of fibromyalgia is also likely to increase due to genetic mutations.
• Infection. Some diseases can trigger or worsen fibromyalgia.
• Physical or emotional trauma. In many cases, fibromyalgia is triggered by physical conditions or emotional stress, such as:

• Injury or infection;
• Give birth;
• Underwent surgery;
• Damage to relationships;

You may be more at risk of developing fibromyalgia if you:

• Female sex. Because, women are more often diagnosed with fibromyalgia than men.
• Have a family medical record of fibromyalgia sufferers.
• Have rheumatic disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus.

Repeated nerve stimulation is thought to cause fibromyalgia. Increasing levels of certain chemicals in the brain can trigger pain-transmitting nerves. In addition, pain receptors in the brain become more sensitive and develop pain memory. As a result, nerves overreact to pain signals.

How is fibromyalgia diagnosed?

The diagnosis of fibromyalgia is quite complicated because doctors must test 18 tender points for accurate results. At present, the diagnosis of fibromyalgia can be determined if someone feels pain that spreads for more than three months - without the medical conditions underlying the pain.

There are no laboratory tests to diagnose fibromyalgia. However, your doctor may do a blood test to eliminate other conditions that can cause pain. The blood test includes:

• Complete blood count

• Erythrocyte sedimentation rate

• Thyroid function tests

Anyone can develop fibromyalgia, even though women are seven times more at risk than men. This condition usually develops between the ages of 30-50 years, but does not rule out the possibility of fibromyalgia in children and the elderly.

The number of people with fibromyalgia cannot be ascertained because this condition is difficult for diagnosis. Aside from not having specific tests to diagnose it, fibromyalgia symptoms are classified as similar to some other medical disorders.

What are the treatments for fibromyalgia?

Although there is currently no specific drug for fibromyalgia, various drugs can help control symptoms. Sports, relaxation and stress reduction are also proven to help the recovery process. Treatment options can include the following combinations:

Drug

• Pain relievers. Painkillers such as paracetamol (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB) or naproxen sodium (Aleve) may be recommended by your doctor. Your doctor may prescribe pain relievers such as tramadol (Ultram, Conzip). Narcotics are not recommended, because these drugs can cause dependence and can even worsen pain over time.
• Antidepressants. Duloxetine (Cymbalta) and Milnacipran (Savella) can help relieve the pain and fatigue associated with fibromyalgia. Your doctor may prescribe amitriptyline or fluoxetine (Prozac) to help improve the quality of your sleep.
• Anti-seizure medication. Drugs designed to treat epilepsy usually help reduce some types of pain, such as Gabapentin (Neurontin, Gralise). Meanwhile, pregabalin (Lyrica) is the first drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat fibromyalgia.

Therapy

Therapy that may be undertaken is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and counseling. Discussing with counselors can strengthen self-confidence and reduce stress. Therapies like acupuncture, chiropractic manipulation, and myofascial release can help patients for a while. However, patients usually find it difficult to get long-term treatment because it cannot be covered by insurance.

Lifestyle changes

Lifestyle changes that can be done are undergoing sports programs and relaxation techniques.

How to deal with fibromyalgia?

Many fibromyalgia patients feel comfortable sharing stories with groups of people who have the same conditions. Counselors can also help strengthen your confidence in undergoing treatment and teach you how to better receive health conditions.

When diagnosed with fibromyalgia, you should seek as much information as you can about fibromyalgia. By understanding the conditions, you will find it easier to find ways to overcome them. This step should also be carried out by family and relatives. Fibromyalgia patients often lack sympathy and support around because other people do not understand the pain the patient feels, moreover fibromyalgia does not show physical symptoms.

Regular exercise has proven to be beneficial for people with fibromyalgia. At first, exercise increases your pain. But over time, regular exercise can reduce symptoms. One of the best sports you can do is mild aerobics. After undergoing light exercise, you can gradually switch to walking, jogging and tennis, as well as swimming or water sports, and stationary cycling. A physical therapist can help you develop an exercise program at home. Stretching, improving posture, and relaxation exercises also help relieve your symptoms.

Maintain a healthy lifestyle. Eat healthy food. Limit caffeine intake, stop smoking and consume alcohol. Do positive and fun activities every day.

Enough sleep. Lack of sleep can make pain worse, causing fatigue and depression. To make it easier for you to fall asleep at night, you should limit your naps. Apply good sleep habits, such as sleeping and waking up at the same time, to train your body to form a sleep schedule.

Reduce stress. Take the time to relax throughout the day but try not to change your daily routine. You must arrange a relaxation plan and reduce emotional stress. Try stress management techniques, such as breathing exercises or meditation.

Try to stay relaxed. Create a daily schedule and arrange energy to carry out daily activities. Basically, you can have a bad day or a good day. Don't push yourself too much. Instead, learn ways to care for yourself.

If you experience problems about pain or lack of sleep, you can consult with your doctor about how to deal with it. It is important to follow a doctor's prescription and contact a doctor immediately if you have side effects from treatment.