A number of diseases fall in the category of rheumatology diseases and all of them are inflammations of various supporting structures of the body. The supporting structures include bones, ligaments, muscles, and tendons. Rheumatic diseases can also affect organs in certain cases. Fibromyalgia is a chronic rheumatic disease characterized by areas of tenderness and musculoskeletal pain.
What Is the Condition?
Apart from musculoskeletal pain and tender points, fatigue and disturbed sleep are some of the associated characters of the disease. Most often, the condition is misdiagnosed as some other medical condition due to the peculiar mimicking nature of the disease. Treating the condition is not a piece of cake due to its chronic nature and difficulties in diagnosis.
What Are the Symptoms?
Consistent pain in some particular regions is the most common symptom of fibromyalgia. Previously, the duration of the pain was the focus of the diagnostic tests but the new diagnostic tests have shifted the focus to regions of musculoskeletal pain and its severity.
Apart from pain, fibromyalgia has several other symptoms like
- Dry eyes
- Difficulties in paying attention
- Fatigue
- Troubled sleep
- Anxiety
- Depression
Overreaction to normal pain signals is common in people with fibromyalgia and the condition can negatively affect their energy level and emotions.
Symptoms of Fibromyalgia in Women
The severity of fibromyalgia symptoms is more in women than they are in men and the women experience widespread pain and associated fatigue. The periods of severe pain are more frequent in women than in men and the symptoms can get worse when they undergo the transition to menopause.
Fibromyalgia was earlier considered as a disease that could only affect women but many men are diagnosed with this condition. The men with this condition experience severe emotional symptoms as well as severe pain.
What Causes the Disease?
The exact causes of the disease are yet to be discovered but several factors can trigger the development of fibromyalgia. Some of the factors are discussed below.
Infections
Past infections of Shigella and Salmonella bacteria can trigger the development of the condition. Flu or Pneumonia diseases in the past can sometimes be a link to Fibromylagia.
Genes
The risk of developing the condition is more when you have a family history of fibromyalgia patients. Researches also suggest the involvement of certain gene mutations in triggering the condition.
Trauma
The people who go through severe emotional and physical trauma are at higher risk of developing fibromyalgia. The link between fibromyalgia and post-traumatic stress disorder has already been identified by researches.
Stress
Severe stress for prolonged periods can bring several hormonal changes within the body and these changes can sometimes act as a trigger to fibromyalgia.
