It has been 50 years since the first clinically documented outbreak of ME here in the UK. That's not to say it wasn't around before then. There are reports of it in medial papers as early at the 1930s and even further back, Florence Nightingale is suspected of suffering from this illness.
Today in the UK, it is not known for certain how many people suffer from ME. Conservative figures put it at 250,000, with 1/4 of these suffering from Severe ME, forcing them to be bed or housebound. The number effected by the illness is likely to be 2-3 times that as each person suffering from it will be in some need of help from family and/or friends.
In basic terms, ME is a very serious, disabling and chronic organic disorder, meaning its roots are physical and not mental as many misconceptions would have you believe.
Today in the UK, it is not known for certain how many people suffer from ME. Conservative figures put it at 250,000, with 1/4 of these suffering from Severe ME, forcing them to be bed or housebound. The number effected by the illness is likely to be 2-3 times that as each person suffering from it will be in some need of help from family and/or friends.
In basic terms, ME is a very serious, disabling and chronic organic disorder, meaning its roots are physical and not mental as many misconceptions would have you believe.
Symptoms:
Fatigue
Post-exertional malaise and/or fatigue
Sleep dysfunctions
Pain
Neurological / cognitive manifestations (eg confusion, sensory disturbances, ataxia, disorientation, impairment of concentration, muscle weakness etc)
At least 1 sympton from two of the following categories:
- Autonomic Manifestations (eg extreme pallor, nausea, light-headedness, palpitations)
- Neuroendocrine Manifestations (eg sweating episodes, marked weight change,
- Immune Manifestations (eg recurrent sore throat, tender lymph nodes, general malaise)
Sufferers can and do recover, with a better prognosis for younger sufferers. However, recovery is all relative. Most sufferers have to learn to live with varying degress of the symptoms, which will stay with them. Unfortuanately, some stay severely ill.
ME is undoubtedly of biological origin. It is not a case of people being 'lazy' or 'not bothered'. A coordinated strategy for biological research is now needed, supported and funded by the health care system and government, so that the sufferers and their carers get the support, understanding and cure they deserve.
ME is undoubtedly of biological origin. It is not a case of people being 'lazy' or 'not bothered'. A coordinated strategy for biological research is now needed, supported and funded by the health care system and government, so that the sufferers and their carers get the support, understanding and cure they deserve.
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