Comment | Read Comments (1)

"Isn't that when you feel tired?" is the common response to "I've got M.E". But it's just a bit more than that... M.E (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis) or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a very serious and officially recognised Psychosomatic, physically debilitating illness which affects thousands of young people (as well as people of all ages) all over the UK.

M.E is extremely hard to diagnose as there is no test' which can be taken to confirm whether or not somebody is suffering from the disease. However, many M.E sufferers are diagnosed with the condition after having suffered from a virus, such as Infectious mononucleosis (Glandular Fever) caused by the Epstein-Barr virus or Gastroenteritis, for example.

The symptoms of this illness include nausea, lethargy, disrupted and unrefreshing sleep, anxiety, muscle and joint pain, reduced ability to partake in physical activity, flu-like symptoms and memory loss/forgetfulness. M.E sufferers also have very weak immune systems meaning they are highly susceptible to virureses.

There is no, one treatment which will work for every sufferer as the illness effects each individual in different ways. Graded excersise, such as walking short distances, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) a phsychological treatment and complimentary therapies such as homepathy and kineseology have been shown to improve sufferers' quality of life.

There are approximately 250,000 people living in the UK with M.E, with half of these sufferers being women. Most M.E sufferers are aged between 20 and 45 and sufferers of childhood M.E are usually diagnosed between the ages of 13 and 15. Some people may recover in 6 months, others in 5 years for example or some may never fully recover.

Barbara Windsor caused outrage amongst the M.E community in 2004 by saying she suffered from "a silly illness called Epstein Barr. It's like ME. It's one of those, pull yourself together illnesses." If celebrities treat this serious illness with such disrespect then how can we expect the general public to appreciate the disease's severity?

In 2004 there was a step in the right direction as the Government announced a £8.5m cash injection to create 12 new centres around the UK for sufferers of M.E. Health Minister, Stephen Ladyman said "As the causes are still not fully understood, it is also a condition that poses a challenge to medicine and the NHS. These new centres and local teams mean that we can start developing focused, local services that will make a real difference to people's lives."

My childhood ended in August 2000 aged 9 when I was diagnosed with M.E and my teenage years only really began last year, aged 16. So in short; No M.E isn't just about feeling tired. With increased awareness over the past decade, M.E has finally been accepted by the majority of medical professionals and public alike as very serious disease.

The 11th to 18th of May 2008 is M.E awareness week. Log on to www.afme.org.uk for information on how you can help.

Liam P Spencer

8:20pm Tuesday 5th February 2008

Print

Email this

Comment

Add your comment

Name:
Email: *
Location:
**
	e.g. 123-123
Comment: Please note: All HTML tags will be ignored. Format Text:
By posting a comment, I confirm that I have read and agree to the terms of use. Comments are not moderated but we will react if anything that breaks the rules comes to our attention and we may delete inappropriate postings. Please treat other people with respect. You must not post anything that is abusive, indecent, unlawful or defamatory. Remember, you are personally liable for what you post on this site. If you wish to complain about a comment, contact us here.
* Your email address will not be displayed ** To avoid register now or login