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Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is the name the Government has chosen to give a very complex illness that affects approximately 2 million Americans and has been documented in almost all industrialized countries of the world. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is a very serious illness that is far more then the name implies. CFS is not believed to be a new disease. Documentation of similar illnesses goes back hundreds if not thousands of years.
One of the biggest problems the CFS community has to deal with is the name itself. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is much more than just being tired. Fatigue can be a main symptom of the illness but that is far from the only malady a CFS patient has to deal with. Naming the disease Chronic Fatigue Syndrome would be the same as naming Emphysema, Chronic Cough Syndrome or naming Parkinsons Disease, Chronic Shaky Syndrome. It's this aspect that trivializes the illness and causes major confusion with the general public not to mention uniformed physicians.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is also know as Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS) or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.) in most other countries other than the United States. Myalgic Encephalomyelitis broken down means...
My - Muscle
Algic - Pain
Encephalo - Brain
Mye - Spinal Cord
Itis - Inflamation
In Japan, CFS is known as Low Natural Killer Cell Syndrome. Japan is far more advanced in recognizing the illness. There is a seperate branch in their helth care system that specifically addresses only CFS.
Attempts to get a NAME CHANGE that more accurately represents the illness have fallen upon deaf ears at The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and at The National Institutes of Health (NIH). Until the CFS community convinces the government to adapt a name that more accurately describes and legitimizes the illness, CFS will be trivialized and misunderstood. This will also effect the amount of money that is allocated for research into the cause of CFS and for potential treatments.
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