Chronic fatigue syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) causes long-term tiredness (fatigue) that affects everyday life. It does not go away with sleep or rest.

CFS is also known as ME, which stands for myalgic encephalomyelitis. Myalgia means muscle pain and encephalomyelitis means inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. Both terms are commonly used.

There is no cure for CFS, so treatment tends to focus on easing the symptoms. These include muscle pain and headaches.

Who is affected?

Around 250,000 people in the UK have CFS.

Anyone can get CFS, although it is more common in women than in men. It usually develops in the early 20s to mid-40s. Children can also be affected, usually between the ages of 13 and 15.  

How serious is it?

Most cases are mild or moderate, but up to one in four people with CFS have severe or very severe symptoms. These are defined as follows: 

• Mild: you are able to care for yourself, but may need days off work to rest. 
• Moderate: you may have reduced mobility, and your symptoms can vary. You may also have disturbed sleep patterns, and sleep in the afternoon.
• Severe: you are able to carry out minimal daily tasks, such as brushing your teeth, but occasionally you may need to use a wheelchair. You may also have difficulty concentrating.
• Very severe: you are unable to carry out any daily tasks for yourself and need bed rest for most of the day. Often, in severe cases, you may experience an intolerance to noise and become very sensitive to bright lights.

Outlook

CFS may last for years. Most people improve over time and some people recover and are able to resume work and normal activities.

However, others will continue having symptoms or may relapse, and some remain housebound.

The outlook for young people is more optimistic.

Glossary

Chronic

Chronic usually means a condition that continues for a long time or keeps coming back.

Fatigue

Fatigue is extreme tiredness and lack of energy.

Pain

Pain is an unpleasant physical or emotional feeling that your body produces as a warning sign that it has been damaged.

Inflammation

Inflammation is the body's response to infection, irritation or injury, which causes redness, swelling, pain and sometimes a feeling of heat in the affected area.

Brain

The brain controls thought, memory and emotion. It sends messages to the body controlling movement, speech and senses.

Spinal cord

The spinal cord is a column of nervous tissue located in the spinal column. It sends messages between the brain and the rest of the body