Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS or SEID)

The definition of chronic fatigue syndrome has two criteria. First, severe fatigue that persists for six months or longer without a discernible diagnostic cause. And the chronic fatigue is not relieved with rest, even significant amounts of rest. Within the last three years, a proposal from the Institute of Medicine has offered a new name for chronic fatigue syndrome; systemic exertion intolerance disease.

Who is at risk, and how likely those who are may be to actually contract systemic exertion intolerance disease is not well understood by the medical community. However, the bulk of diagnosed patients tend to be middle aged women, usually around forty or fifty years of age. A woman is more than four times more likely to be diagnosed with systemic exertion intolerance disease than a man. In diagnosed patients who are younger, they tend to be teenagers rather than young adults.

Systemic exertion intolerance disease is often accompanied by other symptoms. These can start with headaches, joint or muscular pain, sore lymph nodes, and a general lack of interest in exercise. Children tend to be more likely to respond well to treatment than adult patients. Doctors say the best way to avoid being stricken with the disease is to ensure you follow a healthy diet and active lifestyle.

Key Points:

  • 1Chronic fatigue syndrome is fatigue persisting past six months with no cause that can be diagnosed.
  • 2Women are four times more likely than men to be diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome; usually in middle age.
  • 3Treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome consists of attempting to alleviate the symptoms; no cure is currently known.


Adopting a healthy lifestyle is the usual preventive advice given by clinicians that treat chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS or SEID) patients.
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Written by HealthStatus
Medical Writer & Editor

HealthStatus has been operating since 1998 providing the best interactive health tools on the Internet, millions of visitors have used our health risk assessment, body fat and calories burned calculators. The HealthStatus editorial team has continued that commitment to excellence by providing our visitors with easy to understand high quality health content for many years.

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