CFS FACT SHEET in HTML
and PDF formats
including
Symptoms, Diagnosis, Progress, Recovery, Treatment, Prevalence, Causes,
Research
CFS Fact Sheet
on Children and Adolescents
Fact Sheet for
Caregivers of CFS Patients
*
ABBREVIATIONS
| CDC: Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention |
| CFIDS: Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome |
| CFS: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome |
| CFS/ME:
Inclusive term now being used by a number of organizations. |
| EI: Environmental Illness |
| FM: Fibromyalgia |
| MCS: Multiple Chemical Sensitivity |
| ME: Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (name for CFIDS used in
other
countries) |
| NIH: National Institutes of Health |
| PWC: Person With CFIDS or Person With CFS |
| SSD: Social Security Disability |
| YPWC: Young Person With CFIDS |
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is CFS?
How is it Diagnosed?
What is the New Jersey CFS Association?
Can the New Jersey CFS Association recommend doctors?
What is CFS?
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)
attacks people of all ages and walks of
life, leaving many indefinitely disabled. According to the Centers for
Disease Control (CDC), the number of suffers is growing. CFS can strike
anyone. It causes a wide array of symptoms including overwhelming
weakness,
extreme fatigue, chronic sore throat and tender lymph nodes, fever,
muscle
and joint pain, cognitive and neurological problems, irritable bowel
syndrome,
nausea, and vertigo.
The course of CFS is uncertain.
Some patients improve and
recover,
while others remain ill for long periods. Public awareness has grown in
recent years and increased governmental resources have been devoted to
understanding CFS. The CDC recently raised CFS to a "Priority 1" status
in its new, infectious disease category. (Other diseases in "Priority
1"
include cholera, malaria, hepatitis C and tuberculosis.)
Back up to Frequently Asked Questions
How is it Diagnosed?
The diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue
Syndrome is not arrived at easily.
Other
illnesses must first be ruled out, such as Lyme disease, lupus,
rheumatioid
arthritis, hepatitis, cytomegalovirus, asthma, multiple sclerosis,
anemia,
immunodeficiencies, mononucleosis, AIDS/ARC, Sjögrens syndrome,
myasthenia
gravis, giardiasis, brucellosis, toxoplasmosis, hemochromatosis.
CFS is NOT a serological
diagnosis at this time; there
is no blood test that absolutely proves you have it. The diagnosis is
based
on observation of a pattern of clinical symptoms after other causes
have
been ruled out. CFS must never be self-diagnosed, as there are so many
conditions that can cause these symptoms.
Only physicians experienced with
CFS and capable of
interpreting
tests for the illnesses mentioned above should be relied on to make
this
diagnosis. These are usually immunologists, infectious disease
specialists,
rheumatologists, or hematologists.
The New Jersey CFS Association
assists with physician
referrals by maintaining a list of specialists who are familiar
with
this illness, but we make no guarantees of suitability and accept no
responsibility
for this service.
Back up to Frequently Asked Questions
What is the New Jersey CFS Association?
The New Jersey CFS Association, Inc.,
is a not-for-profit, tax
exempt organization whose purpose is to support patients, disseminate
reliable
information, and promote research. It sponsors a wide range of
activities,
including: support groups, newsletter, phone list, statewide
conferences,
informational helpline, and interfacing with the CFS community.
Back up to Frequently Asked Questions
Does the NJCFSA recommend
doctors?
The NJCFSA maintains a referral list
of physicians and lawyers
familiar with CFS issues in the greater New Jersey region. The
list
is derived from a survey of our members and is periodically
updated.
Although our members report knowledgeable and sensitive care and
service
from these providers, these are only recommendations and may not be
found
suitable by everyone. Because it is subject to revision, the list
is not published. However, you can call us for
referrals
at 888-835-3677 during business hours.
Back up to Frequently Asked Questions
For more information phone 888-835-3677
or write to:
NJCFSA
PO Box 477
Florham Park, NJ 07932
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