Synonyms of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis
- CFS/ME
- chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis
- ME
General Discussion
Summary
Myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) is an acquired complex disorder characterized by a variety of symptoms and physical findings potentially affecting multiple systems of the body. Many cases are preceded by a viral infection, usually a flu-like or upper respiratory illness, although ME can also be preceded by a non-viral illness or other trauma such as chemical exposure. Onset is usually rapid (acute) but gradual onsets are also reported. Affected individuals do not recover from the infection and instead experience a wide variety of symptoms including an inability to produce sufficient energy to meet daily demands. Marked fatigue and weakness, sickness, cognitive dysfunction and symptom flare-up follows physical and cognitive exertion. Additional symptoms that may occur include headaches, pain, muscle weakness, neck pain, vision abnormalities (such as blurred vision), a sensation of tingling, burning or numbness of the extremities (paresthesia), bladder and bowel dysfunction, and sleep dysfunction. Cardiovascular abnormalities have also been reported. Myalgic encephalomyelitis is a chronic and disabling disorder. Severe cases often leave affected individuals bedridden or housebound. Myalgic encephalomyelitis may occur as an outbreak that affects a large group of people (epidemically) or may only affect an individual (non-epidemically).
Introduction
There is significant controversy and debate in the medical literature about the relationship between myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). The first outbreak of myalgic encephalomyelitis was in 1934 and the term myalgic encephalomyelitis first appeared in the medical literature in 1956. Myalgic encephalomyelitis is recognized as a distinct disorder and has been classified as a specific neurological disorder by the World Health Organization (WHO) since 1969.
The term CFS was first used in the medical literature during the 1980s in the United States. The criteria focused more on fatigue than the encephalitic (inflammation of the brain) features of the disorder. This was unfortunate, since there is more than sufficient robust evidence which illustrates the underlying biological process involving the central nervous system, immune system, energy metabolism and stress system. Consequently, the emphasis on fatigue unfortunately led to defining the disorder being seen as a psychiatric illness. Because little was known about the cause or physiology of CFS, a wide range of patients were diagnosed with CFS even though they may have had a variety of conditions and experienced different symptoms. CFS eventually evolved into a larger disease designation that overlapped with myalgic encephalomyelitis. Consequently, some researchers, patients, government organizations, and other organizations began to use the terms interchangeably or with the combined acronym ME/CFS, creating a broad disease category...
