1. What is ME/CVS?
ME/CVS is a non-congenital chronic multisystem disease, meaning it affects different parts of the body simultaneously. Symptoms include headache, muscle pain, abdominal pain, immunological, neurological and cognitive disorders, sleep problems, and dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system. Patients feel exhausted and often experience restrictions in everyday life ranging from social and work/study to hobbies and sports.
2. How do you recognize ME/CVS?
The most striking symptom is Post Optional Malaise (PEM), where even minor efforts lead to worsening of symptoms and relapses that may last for hours to months. Other symptoms include poor night rest, lack of energy, cognitive problems ("brain fog"), dizziness, nausea, sweating, shortness of breath, palpitations, weakness, pain in lymph nodes, muscles and/or joints, head, throat and/ or abdominal pain, fever, and hypersensitivity to certain stimuli.
3. What are the possible causes?
The cause of ME/CVS is not yet clear. Doctors suspect it may be caused by virus, bacteria or physical/psychological traumas. There is no specific treatment, but psychological help can help patients understand their limits and prevent relapses. The diagnosis is difficult because there are no specific medical tests; it is based on symptoms.
Patients often report that they are not taken seriously, but after recognition by the Health Council and increasing research ME/CVS is better understood and recognised as a real disease.
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