Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a disease characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory and mood problems. It usually starts after an event such as physical trauma, infection, psychological stress or physical trauma. Symptoms are not a single triggering event, they can build up gradually over time.

İçindekiler

• What is Fibromyalgia?
• What are the Symptoms?
• What are the Causes?
• Fibromyalgia Diagnosis
• Living with Fibromyalgia
• Stress Management
• Treatment
• Exercises
• Nutrition Therapy

What is Fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is a chronic health condition that causes pain and sensitivity in your body. It affects the way your brain and spinal cord process signals, amplifying painful sensations and causing musculoskeletal pain and fatigue. It can also make you feel tired and cause mental symptoms such as memory problems.

What are the Symptoms?

The most common symptoms of fibromyalgia are pain and fatigue. Muscle pain, burnout, pain in and around the face, headaches, migraines, bladder control problems, memory problems, anxiety, worry, depression, insomnia are common with fibromyalgia.

The pain associated with fibromyalgia usually occurs on both sides of the body, in the upper and lower back.

In people with fibromyalgia, sleep is often disturbed by the pain and despite sleeping for a long time, they often wake up tired.

Problems with focus, distraction and loss of concentration, problems with mental processes are also known as “fibro fog”.

What are the Causes?

The cause of fibromyalgia is not known exactly. It can cause fatigue and musculoskeletal pain by affecting the way the central nervous system processes pain-related signals carried by the body.

It is reported that some people are more likely to develop fibromyalgia due to inherited genes.

Physical and emotional conditions such as injury, infection and stress can also trigger the condition.

Fibromyalgia Diagnosis

Fibromyalgia is difficult to detect as there is no specific test to diagnose the disease. If you think you have fibromyalgia, consult a general practitioner.

Symptoms vary from person to person. Some symptoms are similar to symptoms of other conditions. Your doctor will be able to tell you more precisely the cause of your symptoms after the relevant scans (blood test, urine test, X-ray).

Living with Fibromyalgia

The most common symptoms of fibromyalgia are pain, fatigue and confusion. Although these symptoms can be challenging, we do not need to postpone our lives because of them.

Living with this disease means making adjustments in all areas of our lives. For this, we can minimize the negativity that the disease imposes on us and make our lives better by adopting habits such as continuing medication, exercising, getting regular sleep, avoiding stress, identifying which foods are good for you and consuming them.

Stress Management

Worry, anxiety and feeling overwhelmed will also drain your energy. Try to adopt a go-with-the-flow approach to life instead of stress. Set your priorities and remember that it’s okay to say “no” so that you can focus on what is important. You can replace negative or stressful emotions with positive images. Once you learn how to do it, you can do it on your own. Mindfulness meditation teaches you to focus your thoughts in a positive way.

Treatment

Fibromyalgia treatment includes both medication and self-care strategies. It focuses on minimizing symptoms and improving overall health. There is a good chance that no single treatment will work for all symptoms. Medicines help to reduce pain and improve sleep quality. Therapies help reduce the impact of fibromyalgia on your life.

Exercises

It’s natural to worry that any exercise will make your pain worse and leave you exhausted. But adding more physical activity to your day can actually reduce your pain, improve your sleep and give you more energy. It is helpful to talk to your doctor about your treatment before you start exercising. You can plan medication schedules and exercise with your doctor.

Nutrition Therapy

Eat nutrient-rich foods to have more energy and avoid other health problems. By keeping track of the foods you eat, you can recognize which foods are better for you. People with fibromyalgia tend to have low levels of vitamin D. This is likely to worsen pain and other symptoms. A blood test can show whether you have a vitamin D deficiency. Ask your doctor if you need to take supplements. Drink less caffeine. You can reduce the negative effects of the disease by watching your diet.