Chapter Two, Course WB1032
Diagnosis
By definition, all people suffering from CFS experience severe all encompassing mental and physical fatigue that is not relieved by rest. The fatigue is accompanied by characteristic symptoms and these may be more bothersome to the patient than the fatigue. For example, almost all people with CFS report cognitive problems, such as difficulty with concentration and memory, word-finding and inability to do even simple math. In many patients, mental fatigue may be more bothersome than physical fatigue. Most patients also describe sleep problems (getting to sleep or staying asleep), and report that no amount of sleep leaves them refreshed — they awake feeling as if they have never been to sleep at all. Finally, pain (muscle, joint or headache) may be the primary complaint.
CFS symptoms vary from person to person in type, number and severity and it appears that no two people present with exactly the same symptom set. All of these facts add to the complexity of making a CFS diagnosis.
Content Source: National Center for Zoonotic, Vector-Borne, and Enteric Diseases (ZVED)