Raising awareness for immunological and neurological health in May

Earlier this year, we interviewed Team of Advisors member Craig, who’s living with fibromyalgia. Craig talked talked about the need to raise awareness for “hidden disabilities” like his condition. So today, we’re doing just that. May 12 is International Awareness Day for Chronic Immunological and Neurological Diseases (CINDs), which include fibromyalgia and myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME)/chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

Those living with fibromyalgia or ME/CFS can have many symptoms that aren’t always easy to explain to others. Below, Craig describes a typical day for him in vivid detail:

“Imagine that you’ve just worked one of the hardest days of your life. You are so tired that you can hardly walk. Just changing your clothes is almost more effort than you can handle. Every muscle in your body is aching and tired, and the slightest movement of some of them sends them into a tight painful spasm.”

 

But while fibromyalgia and ME/CFS are both chronic pain syndromes, they aren’t exactly the same. Patients living with ME/CFS experience five main symptoms1, as opposed to the more general symptoms of fibromyalgia:

  • Profound fatigue that impairs carrying out normal daily activities
  • Unrefreshing sleep
  • Cognitive impairment
  • Symptoms that worsen when a person stands up
  • Symptoms that worsen after exerting any type (emotional, physical) effort

If you’ve been diagnosed with a CIND, join the community at PatientsLikeMe. The fibromyalgia community is one of the largest on the site – over 65,000 people are sharing their experiences, along with more than 12,000 living with ME/CFS.


Share this post on Twitter and help spread the word.

 

1https://www.iom.edu/~/media/Files/Report%20Files/2015/MECFS/MECFS_KeyFacts.pdf

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