What is M.E?

Main Symptoms

M.E = Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/ Encephalopathy

It can also be known as: CFS = Chronic Fatigue Syndrome PVFS = Post Viral Fatigue Syndrome

The illness affects many parts of the body such as the nervous and immune systems. The most common symptoms are severe fatigue or exhaustion, problems with memory and concentration and muscle pain.

It is estimated that there are up to 240,000 people with M.E. in the UK. It can affect men, women and children of all ages and from all social and ethnic groups. It seems to be more common to develop the illness between your early twenties and mid-forties

The term Myalgic Encephalopathy indicates the pain in the muscles, neurological problems and general suffering that accompany this illness:
Myalgic: Greek origin meaning muscle
Encephalo: Greek origin meaning brain
Pathy: meaning suffering or sickness


There is no known cause of ME as yet, although in young people it most commonly follows persistent viral infection.


Further Info

Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment
Severe M.E
Functional Ability Scale
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