Q How Do the Numbers Differ with Age?
A Symptoms of fibromyalgia syndrome usually start somewhere between 20 and 55 years old. As the disease is lifelong, by the age of 80, about 8% of people can be classified as having fibromyalgia syndrome, according to the National Fibromyalgia Association.
In the past, other terms were used to describe the condition, including muscular rheumatism and fibrositis. The condition may even have been misdiagnosed as degenerative joint disease. We now know that fibromyalgia isn’t linked to inflammatory or degenerative arthritis, even though the symptoms may sometimes be very similar.
Fibromyalgia doesn’t cause any lasting damage to the body’s tissues. However, it’s important to keep as active as you can in order to avoid weakening of the muscles (deconditioning) which could to secondary problems.
Q How Do the Numbers Differ Between Men and Women?
A Fibromyalgia syndrome is more common in women than in men – according to the National Fibromyalgia Association, 75-90% of people with fibromyalgia syndrome are women.
Q Can fibromyalgia cause a heart attack?
A When you have fibromyalgia, you often experience some symptoms of heart disease, such as chest pain, heartburn, and heart palpitations. However, researchers in Taiwan have discovered that fibromyalgia patients have a higher risk for heart disease and should have their heart issues taken seriously.
Q Has anyone died from fibromyalgia?
A It is certainly not killing anyone. However, there have been sporadic reports in the literature of increased mortality due to cardiovascular disease and suicide. However, none of the fibromyalgia patients who did commit suicide had a medical history of depression or other psychiatric illness at the time of diagnosis.
Is Fibromyalgia A Deadly Disease? – Upper Cervical Awareness 4th Jan 2011
Q Can fibromyalgia go away?
A In studies that have been looked at, if people have had fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue for two years or under, the chance of the condition going away reaches 70 to 80%. If you’ve had it for eight years or longer, it’s much less likely that it’s going to go away. 13th Feb 2008
Q Do I have MS or fibromyalgia?
A Multiple sclerosis and fibromyalgia both involve the nervous system and cause chronic symptoms, such as pain and fatigue. However, there are crucial differences. Unlike MS, fibromyalgia is not an autoimmune disease. Currently, the medical community does not fully understand what causes fibromyalgia.
Medical News Today 28th Nov 2018
Q Can fibromyalgia cause mental illness?
A This chronic disorder causes aches and pains that are severe enough to impact normal activity and disrupt sleep. If those symptoms weren’t enough, however, fibromyalgia also often causes mental health issues for many patients. It can lead to cases of depression, anxiety, or other psychological disorders Some people find that when they present fibromyalgia symptoms to their GP, it takes some time to be diagnosed. Many people are misdiagnosed, because fibromyalgia is not well understood, being only identified and labelled in the 1990’s
.Q Can I still work if I have Fibromyalgia?
This depends on the individual each person with the condition has a different experience. Lots of people with Fibromyalgia go to work or are able to continue the work they have always done, whilst others are not able to work.
Being unable to work may influence your sense of wellbeing and affect your finances. If this is the case, it may be beneficial to talk to a charity specialising in supporting people who live with chronic pain, such as Pain Concern, as well as other Charities that help with benefits and grant support.
If you are employed and have Fibromyalgia, it may be beneficial to share your diagnosis with your employers but it is your choice. This is important as you may need time off, additional breaks, or other adjustments they should be able to make for when your fibromyalgia symptoms are difficult to deal with. These are known as reasonable adjustments and it is your right under the Equality Act to ask for these.
Celebrities Who Have Spoken Out About Fibromyalgia
Lady Gaga via Lady Gaga’s Twitter in 2017
Morgan Freeman via Interview with Esquire magazine in 2012
Mary McDonough via the Vintage Dreamer on Flickr
Kyle Richards via Kyle Richards Facebook page
Rosie Hamlin via Wikipedia
Janeane Garofalo via Jason Saul on Flickr
Michael James Hastings via Michael James Hastings Facebook page
Kirsty Young via the BBC
8th Feb 2018; Source: www.themighty.com
All the content within these pages has been sourced through a variety of online medical and alternative therapy information sources, and at the time of publishing we believe them to be true statements.