Who is at Risk for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome has posed a mystery for many researchers and health care workers. Not a lot is known about this disease and although accurate numbers are hard to settle on due to the large number of misdiagnosed cases, experts believe that somewhere between eight hundred thousand to over one million people in the United States suffer from this multi-symptom disease. While the exact cause of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is not yet known, researchers have been able to develop some patient information that seems to point to a general guideline of things that may make a person at higher risk than others.

* Although men and women are both susceptible to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, women are four times more likely to suffer from the affliction than men are.

* Anyone can develop symptoms; however, most patients are in their 40's and 50's, although some cases have been reported in much younger patients.

* There seems to be no racial or ethnic diversity in the make up of the people who suffer from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and the ailment has been seen in nearly every part of the world.

* Although some members of the same family have been known to develop Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, it is unclear if there is any genetic reason for this. At this time, there is no evidence to support the idea of it being an inherited disease.

* Onsets seem to occur more often in the Winter months than any other time of year, especially in patients who had a flu-like illness.

* Many patients see an onset of symptoms after extremely stressful episodes in their lives. Stress can lead to a relapse in patients already recovering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and will often increase the intensity and length of the symptoms.

* Some patients have reported an onslaught of symptoms after receiving a blood transfusion or a vaccine; however, there is not enough information known about this to believe that either proposes any substantial risk for developing Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Anyone who is concerned by new, sudden symptoms should consult a health care worker even if they do not fit one of the risk factors above since only a properly trained medical professional can accurately diagnose Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.