Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia

What is Fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is a disorder that causes pain in your muscles and joints. It may also cause poor sleep, headaches, and stiffness or muscle aches. Stress or lack of sleep can make the symptoms of fibromyalgia worse. More women than men have fibromyalgia, and the disorder is common--it is seen in up to 5% of the population. However, it isn't life-threatening, and it doesn't cause permanent damage.

Causes of Fibromyalgia

The causes of fibromyalgia are unknown. There may be a number of factors involved. Fibromyalgia has been linked to:

• Stressful or traumatic events, such as car accidents
• Repetitive injuries
• Illness
• Certain diseases.

Fibromyalgia can also occur on its own.

Some scientists think that a gene or genes might be involved in fibromyalgia. The genes could make a person react strongly to things that other people would not find painful.

Signs and Symptoms of Fibromyalgia

Common signs and symptoms of Fibromyalgia include:

Widespread pain - Fibromyalgia is characterized by pain in specific areas of your body when pressure is applied, including the back of your head, upper back and neck, upper chest, elbows, hips and knees. The pain generally persists for months at a time and is often accompanied by stiffness.

Fatigue and sleep disturbances - People with fibromyalgia often wake up tired and unrefreshed even though they seem to get plenty of sleep. Some studies suggest that this sleep problem is the result of a sleep disorder called alpha wave interrupted sleep pattern, a condition in which deep sleep is frequently interrupted by bursts of brain activity similar to wakefulness. So people with fibromyalgia miss the deep restorative stage of sleep. Nighttime muscle spasms in your legs and restless legs syndrome also may be associated with fibromyalgia.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) - The constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain and bloating associated with IBS are common in people with fibromyalgia.

Headaches and facial pain - Many people who have fibromyalgia also have headaches and facial pain that may be related to tenderness or stiffness in their neck and shoulders. Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction, which affects the jaw joints and surrounding muscles, is also common in people with fibromyalgia.

Heightened sensitivity - It's common for people with fibromyalgia to report being sensitive to odors, noises, bright lights and touch.

others symptoms and signs of fibromyalgia:-

• Changes in mood
• Dry mouth, eyes and skin
• Pain during menstrual periods
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Difficulty in concentration
• Dizziness
• Pain in chest, neck and shoulders
• Irritable bladder
• Paresthesia

Diagnosis of Fibromyalgia

Medical tests such as X-rays and blood tests will be recommended by the health care providers to detect the fibromyalgia. Family history and physical examination are also taking by the doctor to examine the disease.

Treatment of Fibromyalgia

Treatment depend on the signs and symptoms of fibromyalgia. Medications are very effective to treat fibromyalgia.

Analgesics - Acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) may ease the pain and stiffness caused by fibromyalgia. However, its effectiveness varies. Tramadol (Ultram) is a prescription pain reliever that may be taken with or without acetaminophen. Your doctor may recommend nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) - such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) or naproxen sodium (Anaprox, Aleve) - in conjunction with other medications, but NSAIDs haven't proven to be effective in managing the pain in fibromyalgia when taken by themselves.

Antidepressants - Your doctor may prescribe antidepressant medications, such as amitriptyline (Elavil), nortriptyline (Aventyl, Pamelor) or doxepin (Sinequan) to help promote sleep. Fluoxetine (Prozac) in combination with amitriptyline has also been found effective. Sertraline (Zoloft) and paroxetine (Paxil) can help if you're experiencing depression.

Muscle relaxants - Taking the medication cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril) at bedtime may help treat muscle pain and spasms. Muscle relaxants are generally limited to short-term use.

Prevention Tips of Fibromyalgia

The best ways to prevent Fibromyalgia is :

• You should take more and more rest.
• You should avoid stress and depression.
• You should get sleep for long time.
• You should do exercise such as walking, biking, swimming and water aerobics regularly.
• You should maintain a healthy lifestyle.
• Eat healthy food.