Researchers estimate that at least between 17-24 million people around the world live with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), medically known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME).
ME/CFS is a neurological disorder that negatively impacts several body systems and functions. Symptoms of ME/CFS include extreme fatigue, enlarged lymph nodes, flu-like symptoms, muscle cramps, and hair loss.
There is currently no one test to diagnose ME/CFS. This can make the condition hard to diagnose, as most of its symptoms are shared with other diseases.
“For decades, people living with ME/CFS have faced enormous challenges in getting a clear diagnosis,” Dmitry Pshezhetskiy, MBBS, PhD, professorial research fellow at the Norwich Medical School at the University of East Anglia in the U.K., told Medical News Today.
“The symptoms are real, often severe, and life-changing, yet there has been no objective medical test to confirm the condition. Diagnosis has depended entirely on history, symptom checklists, and the exclusion of other diseases. Many studies have been done, and they all showed that there is no single biomarker for ME/CFS, outlining its multifactorial nature,” he said.
