Fibromyalgia – Causes, Symptoms And Treatment Of This Disease
Fibromyalgia was recognized as a disease in the early 90’s. Since then, many researchers have recognized it as a somatic disorder. This means that the patient complains of physical pain, but research does not confirm the physical sources of pain.
Recent studies point to the neurological basis of fibromyalgia , namely disorders of the central nervous system.
Who is affected by fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia affects 2 to 5% of the population, especially in countries such as Italy, Portugal, Spain and Germany. The risk group is women – 10 times more women than men develop fibromyalgia.
- people with arthritis
- patients with autoimmune diseases
- people in the age range of 20 to 50 years
The main risk factors
The origin of fibromyalgia is related to abnormalities in the functioning of the nervous system, but the exact mechanism is unknown. It is suspected to be caused by neurohormonal disorders, genetic factors, and environmental factors such as diet and stress.
The problem lies in the nervous system, in the excessive sensitivity of the pain-conducting structures in the spinal cord and the brain.
Symptoms
- headache
- depression
- allodynia
- muscle stiffness
- insomnia
- hyperalgesia
- tiredness
- affection
- musculoskeletal pain
- hypersensitivity to sounds and visual stimuli
Diseases related to fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia occurs more frequently in patients with rheumatic diseases such as arthritis, stiff arthritis of the spine, or in patients with autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus. In addition, it is often associated with celiac disease.
Fibromyalgia: related diseases
A significant number of patients complain of sleep problems. During the day they are tired and at night they suffer from pains. Constant exhaustion leads to states of anxiety, anxiety and depression.
Diagnostics
There is no reliable diagnostic criterion for fibromyalgia. The normal process is to rule out other diseases that are indicated by the symptoms in the first instance.
Such action causes a delay in the diagnosis of the disease. There is still debate among researchers whether fibromyalgia should be considered a separate disease or rather a group of symptoms of other diseases. To diagnose fibromyalgia, 11 out of 18 pain points should be confirmed when touched. Pain lasting more than 3 months may also indicate fibromyalgia.
Many people with this disease will never be diagnosed due to the difficulty of diagnosis.
Fibromyalgia: Treatment
Medical therapies and weight reduction are among the most effective ways to fight fibromyalgia.
As for pharmacological therapies, fibromyalgia is treated with antidepressants, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antiepileptic drugs, muscle relaxants. In addition, magnetic stimulation is an effective method. Pain reduction is achieved in most patients.
