Still poorly understood, fibromyalgia is characterized by a multitude of symptoms. Pain, migraines, fatigue or anxiety, here are 43 symptoms of the disease. Fibromyalgia affects approximately 2% of the population, with a prevalence in the female gender. According to experts, it usually manifests around the age of 30 and is characterized by sleep disorders, unexplained fatigue and chronic pain that can last for years. Being still poorly understood by the medical community, this condition is difficult to identify as it combines a plethora of symptoms that are often characteristic of other illnesses. To better identify this disease and learn more about its manifestations, here are 43 symptoms of fibromyalgia.
Although this disease does not necessarily lead to serious complications, it can nevertheless be very trying for the person who suffers from it. Health professionals tend to associate it with genetic, physiological and environmental factors that act simultaneously, but the exact causes of this syndrome are still difficult to identify.
What are Fibromyalgia Symptoms?
Fibromyalgia is primarily characterized by pronounced fatigue, sleep problems, and tendon and muscle pain along the spine. According to Dr. Arthur Wulvik, a rheumatologist in Paris, sleep disorders are often recurrent, "without being able to clearly determine whether they are a cause or a consequence of the disease". But these symptoms are far from exclusive to fibromyalgia. It is for this reason that during the diagnosis, the doctors generally proceed in three stages to identify it, in particular by carrying out clinical examinations, by questioning the patient on his symptoms and by eliminating the pathologies which could present symptoms identical to this one. condition.
Indeed, the manifestations which accompany fibromyalgia are extremely numerous. And for good reason, the National Fibromyalgia Association, published nearly a hundred symptoms on its site. Among them:
- Sleep apnea
- Tinnitus or ringing in the ear
- Disruption of blood circulation
- Concentration problems
- Anxiety
- Itchy skin
- Severe migraines
- Difficulty going up or down steps
- Muscle spasms
- stabbing and diffuse pain (muscles, tendons, ligaments and skin)
- Redness or pallor at the extremities
- Distorted sensations (the simple fact of touching the skin can be painful)
- Vaginal pain not associated with menstruation
- Difficulties opening or closing the jaw
- Confusion
- Chills
- Facial pains which radiate the orbit
- Hypersensitivity to the surrounding elements (light, heat, cold, noise, odors etc.)
- Mood swings
- Difficulty raising or lowering your arms
- Unilateral chest pain (usually on the left, on the 5th rib)
- Movements difficult to control, including restless leg syndrome
- Reduced or nonexistent libido
- Gait disturbances (feeling of being pulled to the side)
- Endometriosis
- Difficulty chewing
- Loss of strength in the hands
- Panic and anxiety attacks
- Stiffness in movements
- Insufficient sleep
- Difficulty speaking (extinction of voice)
- Important sweats
- Digestive disorders
- Difficulty swallowing (dysphasia)
- Vertigo
- Itching or burning sensation in the eyes
- Sinus pain unrelated to sinusitis
- Dry, raspy or flaking skin
- Heart aches and palpitations
- Nocturnal myoclonus (when the leg muscles contract during the night)
- Dryness of the mucous membranes
- Recurrent clumsiness
- Difficulty facing effort even for the simplest tasks
How to live with fibromyalgia?
According to National Fibromyalgia Association, fibromyalgia is treated using drugs, non-drug methods and targeted pain management. This involves psychotropic and analgesic, physical activity sometimes accompanied by hydrotherapy in hot water, relaxation techniques as well as cognitive-behavioral techniques.
People who suffer from this condition must then learn to adapt their days to their real capacities in order to improve their daily lives. Sport is one of the activities recommended to reduce the manifestations of fibromyalgia, in particular by practicing exercises and movements in a heated swimming pool. Favoring anti-inflammatory foods can also be useful, as well as foot reflexology or even dietary supplement cures which may be prescribed by a doctor. Monitoring the latter is essential to better understand the disease.