Tips to Help You Cope with Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that is characterized by widespread pain, general feelings of fatigue and multiple tender points all over the body.

For some people, fibromyalgia can become so severe that it interferes with normal daily activities. There is no single cause of fibromyalgia and in fact the cause may be individual to the person.

Fibromyalgia is difficult to diagnose because there is no definite lab test or other diagnostic test for fibromyalgia. The doctor will make a diagnosis based upon the patient’s symptoms and the location of the tender spots on the body.

In addition to chronic pain and fatigue, fibromyalgia can cause the following symptoms:

· Restless legs syndrome

· Sleep disturbances

· Morning stiffness

· Irritable bowel syndrome

· Painful menstrual periods

· Numbness or tingling of the arms and legs.

· Headaches

· Temperature sensitivity

· Cognitive and memory problems

· A variety of other symptoms.

Studies have shown that as many as one in every fifty Americans will be diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Between eighty and ninety percent of those diagnosed will be women. Most people will be diagnosed with fibromyalgia when they reach middle age, but sometimes the symptoms can become present earlier in life.

Certain rheumatic disease such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus or spinal arthritis will put a person at a higher risk for fibromyalgia. There may be a hereditary link with fibromyalgia, but that has not been proven 100% as of yet.

If you have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, there are a few things you can do to ease your symptoms. One of the best things you can do for yourself is to practice moderation.

On those days that you feel energetic, don’t overdo it by trying to get everything done at once. This will just wear you out and make your fibromyalgia symptoms worse. On the flip side, don’t focus on your condition and think that you now have to give up all of your daily activities. Inactivity can be just as damaging as over activity. Moderation is the key.

The other thing that you should do to help your fibromyalgia symptoms is try to reduce the stress in your life. Stress seems to make your symptoms worse so examine your life and determine what causes stress in your life and try to do things to change it.

So there you have some great information on what fibromyalgia is and who is most likely to develop it. The best thing you can do for yourself to prevent it from happening to you is to live a healthy lifestyle. Eat right, drink plenty of water, supplement your diet with nutritional supplements and get exercise. Give your body the ammunition that it needs to fight off conditions such as fibromyalgia.