What is Fibromyalgia? The main symptoms of fibromyalgia.


Fibromyalgia Symptoms

Patients with Fibromyalgia often misdiagnosed and misunderstood because their symptoms and signs are similar to other diseases. There is no medical test which can diagnose Fibromyalgia. So, doctors often have to rule out the symptoms for its diagnosis. A patient with Fibromyalgia may have a few symptoms alongside other medical problems.

As I told you before, there is no lab and imaging test, which can confirm that you have Fibromyalgia. Therefore, your doctor will ask about your symptoms to decide whether you have Fibromyalgia or not. Thus, you need to understand the signs and symptoms of this condition.

What is Fibromyalgia?

It is a long-lasting or chronic illness disorder which causes muscle pain and fatigue all over your body. A person with this medical condition experience pain and tenderness throughout his body.

Understand Fibromyalgia Symptoms

Here are common symptoms associated with this disorder.

Tender Points

It is undoubtedly the main symptoms which help your doctor decide about your medical problem. These are specific spots on your muscles and soft tissues surrounding joints. These spots are known as tender points and sore spots. A person feels sore in one place at the start, and then he gets multiple tender points. He feels more pain in these spots when pressure is put over them. Usually, these tender points are on the skin surface rather than deep under the skin. You don’t feel pain in joints but have tender points around the joints.

Pain

Another main reason which leads you to see your doctor is feeling pain all over your body. This ache feels similar to other medical conditions such as osteoarthritis, bursitis, and tendinitis. However, the only difference with Fibromyalgia is that you feel pain all over your body, not in limited areas. Some people say that this pain comes and goes while others say it doesn’t go but travel in the body. They explain their pain as aching, burning, dull, sharp, throbbing, or profound.

Fibromyalgia is that you feel pain all over your body, not in limited areas. Some people say that this pain comes and goes while others say it doesn’t go but travel in the body. They explain their pain as aching, burning, dull, sharp, throbbing, or profound.

Fatigue

People with Fibromyalgia often complain that they feel more tired than others. They feel tired when they awake after a good night’s sleep. They feel too tired after a workout. They don’t like to do routine exercise as it makes them feel drained. Some patients complain that they can’t do everyday tasks with ease. Activities such as shopping, dish-washing, and cleaning consume all their energy, and they don’t like to work anymore.  They feel like they have to put too much effort into completing such tasks.

Sleep Problems

Another common symptom associated with significant fibromyalgia patient is sleep deprivation or disturbance. The patient has to struggle with good night’s sleep. They can’t fall asleep quickly; they need to try for an hour or more. Some complain that they have a light sleep which can be disturbed easily. In the morning, they feel tired and exhausted. Some people report that they often wake up at night after sleeping for just a few hours.

A lab study is performed on a patient with fibro. According to its results, people with this condition are constantly interrupted by bursts of their brain activity. Even when they sleep, their brain remains active like as they are awake. These interruptions cause sleep disturbance, and therefore, they want to rest and relax more.

Mood Disorders

According to the study, half or almost all fibromyalgia patients are experiencing severe mood disorders. They face anxiety and depression. Just like pain is a part of fibro, some study suggests that anxiety and depression are also its parts. Constant feeling of pain all over the body is very exhausting. You don’t like to work more and thus you become less active than other people.

Patients feel that they can’t have a healthy life, and they start developing negative thoughts. They feel frustrated and under stress all the time. Keeping up with their routine life feels like a difficult task every day.

Difficulty in remembering

People with fibro find it hard to remember day to day things and activities. They have short-term memory loss problem. They can’t remember what they have eaten at lunch. They often forget after placing keys and other things at a place. They feel frustrated when they have to locate their keys which they keep somewhere an hour before.

Morning Stiffness

Most people complain that they experience morning stiffness after they get out of bed. They can’t start their day quickly. They need to relax for quite some time until their muscles get relaxed. They feel stiffness in the muscles and joints of their backs, arms, and legs.

Some people report that this stiffness goes away after a minute. While others say that they feel this problem for fifteen to twenty minutes after they wake up. In severe cases, some people experience muscle stiffness throughout the day.

Paresthesia

It is a situation when you feel swelling, numbness, burning, and tinglings in your hands and feet. The real cause behind paresthesia is unknown. You might feel this condition for a few minutes, or it could be constant for some patients. This feeling is terrible, but you can do routine things even after it.

Headaches

Almost 2 out of 5 people with fibromyalgia experience headache or migraine. This problem is due to back and neck’s muscle stiffness. When you feel constant pain in your upper back and neck, then you might get headaches. Sometimes, tender points over your back of neck and head lead to this pain. When a person has problems, then he feels under stress all the time. Headache or migraine makes it hard for him to manage his disease.

Menstrual Cramps

Fibromyalgia is more common in women than in men. Women who have this disorder experience painful menstrual cramps for years.

Restless Legs Syndrome

Many people with fibro report that they can’t sleep at night because they have pain in their legs, especially feet and legs below their knees. To feel comfortable, they often have to massage their legs or to move them.

Fibro Fog

People with fibro often complain that they find it hard to think and memorize. This situation is commonly known as fibro fog. It is like their mind has some mist, which doesn’t let them think clear.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Almost two-third fibro patient often experience belly pain; they feel like gas is moving all over their stomach. They report bloating, constipation, or diarrhea. When you have stiff muscles and pain all over your body, your mind is under stress, then your eating routine disturbs. Sometimes when you have headaches, you miss a meal, or this may lead to this syndrome. People with fibro might have acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux disease as well.

Problems Peeing

Some people with fibro report that they feel an urge to go to the toilet a lot for a pee. Sometimes when they pee it hurts, or a leaky bladder situation often happens. It is good to know that this pee problem is also familiar with people having kidney or bladder disease.

Wrap up

Know you know all about the signs and symptoms of Fibromyalgia. If you experience a few of them, it is suggested to visit your nearest clinic and consult with your doctor. Only your doctor can diagnose Fibromyalgia after understanding all the signs and symptoms you explain to him.