Prevalence and Symptoms of
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Risk Factors for chronic fatigue syndrome

• People of every age, gender, ethnicity and socioeconomic group can have chronic fatigue syndrome.
• Chronic fatigue syndrome affects women at four times the rate of men.
• Research indicates that chronic fatigue syndrome is most common in people in their 40s and 50s.
• Although chronic fatigue syndrome is much less common in children than in adults, children can develop the illness, particularly during the teen years.

Defining chronic fatigue syndrome Symptoms

• Chronic fatigue syndrome is marked by extreme fatigue that has lasted at least six months; is not the result of ongoing effort; is not substantially relieved by rest; and causes a substantial reduction in daily activities.
• Prevalence and symptoms and their consequences can be severe. chronic fatigue syndrome can be as disabling as multiple sclerosis, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, congestive heart failure and similar chronic conditions. Symptom severity varies from patient to patient and may vary over time for an individual patient.

In addition to fatigue, chronic fatigue syndrome includes eight characteristic symptoms:

• Post-exertional malaise (relapse of symptoms after physical or mental exertion);
• Unrefreshing sleep;
• Substantial impairment in memory/concentration;
• Muscle pain;
• Pain in multiple joints;
• Headaches of a new type, pattern or severity;
• Sore throat; and
• Tender neck or armpit lymph nodes.