Ailments and Situations - Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - Causes and What to Expect

Causes:

The cause is unknown.

Immune system abnormalities are implicated in CFS. Patients have either a decreased number or activity of natural killer (NK) cells. NK cells destroy cells that have been infected with viruses or have become cancerous. There also seems to be reduced activity of lymphocytes. Lymphocytes are cells that also attack viruses.

Epstien-Barr virus (EBV) is a controversial cause of CFS. It is a member of the herpesvirus family. This theory is controversial because nearly everyone is infected with EBV, but not everyone comes down with CFS. Also, although a large number of people with CFS have been infected with EBV, not all have been. Other viruses that have been theorized to cause CFS include human herpesvirus 6 (HHV6), Cytomegalic virus, poliovirus, Cocksackie virus, and retrroviruses, among others.

One author suggests that CFS is primarily a metabolic disorder, and it is this disorder which causes the reactivation of latent viral infections.

Neuroendocrine disturbances have also been hypothesized as a causative factor. Particularly a neurally mediated hypotension (NMH). This causes a vasospasm of the blood vessels in certain parts of the brain, decreasing blood flow.

There are also some professionals that believe CFS to be strictly a psychological or mental illness.

 
What to Expect:

Severity of symptoms vary from person to person. The disease may also follow a course of exacerbation followed by remission of symptoms, or a more constant, chronic path.