Last Updated on March 12, 2024 by admin
Fibromyalgia is a disorder that is characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain, which is usually accompanied by Sleepiness, fatigue, frequent mood issues and memory loss.
Nearly 2.9 million people in the USA have fibromyalgia.
It is the second most common condition that affects the bones and muscles. Yet it takes time to be diagnosed and is often misunderstood.
However, unfortunately, there is no cure for it, but a balanced combination of exercise, medication, lifestyle management and stress control can give you relief from the painful symptoms and give you back your everyday and active life.
In this article, we have mentioned the causes, and symptoms often caused due to fibromyalgia.
Table of Contents
What are the causes of fibromyalgia?
According to many studies, it is observed that people who have fibromyalgia have a continuous stimulation of nerves that causes the brain and spinal cord to change.
This change exhibits an abnormal increase in the levels of chemicals in the brain that causes pain.
Moreover, this brain’s pain receptors tend to develop a memory of the pain it experiences and becomes sensitive. This results in overreacting to the painful stimulation of the non-painful signals.
The other factors that can result in fibromyalgia are
Infections
Sometimes infections can trigger fibromyalgia, as, during the infections, chemical changes take place inside the body.
Genetics
Fibromyalgia tends to run in the families, and therefore in some cases, it can occur due to genetic mutations and make the patient more susceptible to developing this disorder.
Physical or emotional trauma
Fibromyalgia can sometimes be triggered due to physical traumas like car accidents, and prolonged emotional disorders can also stimulate this condition.
What are the symptoms of fibromyalgia?
As mentioned above, symptoms of fibromyalgia can be caused due to reasons like physical and emotional trauma, infections spread due to infections or maybe psychological distress.
Fibromyalgia causes regions of pain. Some of these regions overlap with the tender area and trigger pain. This pain often feels like a constant dull ache.
If you have experienced musculoskeletal pain in 4 out of 5 regions of pain points that are outlined in this study then the healthcare professional will diagnose you with fibromyalgia.
Fibromyalgia can exhibit the following symptoms
Extensive Pain All Over the Body
The extensive pain that dwells due to fibromyalgia is often described as a constant dull ache that usually lasts for 3-4 months. The extensive pain spreads all over the body and occurs on both sides of your body, and happens above and below your waist.
Cognitive Difficulties
A common symptom of fibromyalgia is referred to as ‘fibro fog’, which distracts the ability to pay attention, concentrate and focus on mental tasks.
Continuous Fatigue
People who have fibromyalgia feel tired and report long sleeping times. Moreover, the sleep cycle is often disrupted by stinging pain or any other sleeping disorder like sleep apnea or restless legs syndrome.
Fibromyalgia co-exists commonly with the following medical conditions:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Migraine and other types of headaches
- Postural tachycardia syndrome
- Interstitial cystitis or painful bladder syndrome
- Temporomandibular joint disorders
