Are Toxins Contributing to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?
For anyone suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) there is hope on the horizon. Researchers have found a way to diagnose this mysterious disease – and there may also be a link between the toxins in our environment and the rise of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
What’s CFS?
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome has been a mystery to doctors and patients alike. The symptoms are very real for the patient but without a doctor who is able to pinpoint a cause for the symptoms it is hard for them to make a firm diagnosis. CFS comes complete with muscle pain, joint pain, weakness, impaired memory, and even insomnia. An individual suffering with CFS can feel exhausted to the point of falling asleep the minute they sit down or have the same mental exhaustion while lying awake at night. Physical and mental activity makes the symptoms worse. Often CFS has been misdiagnosed or coupled with depression. Some patients have even been told that it was all in their heads! Being told you are imagining your illness will lead anyone to depression! It has become a very common (yet often misdiagnosed) and debilitating disease.
There Is Hope for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome!
The Radiological Society of North America has done some amazing research on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. They just recently (October 29th 2014) published their findings – a huge step which may bring hope to CFS sufferers! By using a combination of imaging techniques they have found that a person living with CFS had several anomalies in their brain not found in a non-CFS patient. This is hope to those who have been living under the weight of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Until this research, there was little to go by to distinguish whether a person was suffering from CFS or some other mysterious cause.
But What Could Be The Cause of CFS?
The CDC recognizes that there may be several factors contributing to CFS. They list the following as causes or triggers that have been identified as possible contributing factors:
- Infections (research suggests a combination rather than a singular infection: Read here)
- Immune Disorders (may be the cause of CFS or is CFS the cause?)
- Stress
- Trauma (PTSD)
- Toxins
Reducing stress is a “no brainer” when you want a healthy lifestyle. There are many things you can change in your life to contribute to a stress-free lifestyle. Eating well, getting plenty of exercise, and having positive relationships all contribute to building a stress-free life. Trauma is not easy to control. However, by talking to someone who is trained in trauma therapy you can learn techniques to help minimize PTSD. Immune disorders and infections can both be helped with a healthy, harmonious, and balanced lifestyle. What about toxins? How do toxins in our environment and in our food affect Chronic Fatigue Syndrome? Perhaps a combination of these trigger factors is what is causing more people to be diagnosed with CFS? Rather than get turned around by what could be, let’s look at what we know.
What We Do Know
What we know is that a healthy lifestyle and a healthy environment contribute to building your body’s immune system. Your wellness is directly affected by the balance in your life. The truth is that what is causing your CFS may be different from what is causing someone else’s CFS. One individual who was diagnosed with CFS found that the toxins in his environment were a major contributing factor. The abundance of toxins we are exposed to daily adds up in our system. So maybe you control toxins by living organically – are you applying this same knowledge to your other activities? If you run every day, but run where there is heavy traffic you’re breathing in a massive amount of pollutants. If you buy organic but are not washing it you may be exposed to cross contamination. Everything from what you wash your laundry in to whether or not you wash your food-these things build up in our systems and make you toxic! If you think you may have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome consider your environment and what you can control and start taking steps now. It may take a few months to purge unwanted stress, sickness, and toxins from your life. Be patient with yourself and see what is in your control to change! Find your balance and you may find the key to unlocking your CFS.
Applications and Resources for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Read more to find out if Mold is contributing to your symptoms of CFS
- Check out Tired or Toxic? See if you can pinpoint your cause
- Go to the CDC website to read more about CFS
- Eastern medicine teaches that balance and harmony can cure many ailments. This can be true especially for CFS sufferers. Find where your life may be out of balance and research or look through our blogs for tips on ways to restore peace and health to your life.
