| Copyright (c) 2007 Hailey Harris | | | | known that most people are diagnosed with |
| Fibromyalgia is a medical condition that often | | | | fibromyalgia between the ages of 20 and 50. |
| causes weakness and fatigue along with the | | | | However, recent studies show there is a shift in |
| common symptom of pain. Fibromyalgia is closely | | | | these numbers. Many more people are being |
| related to chronic fatigue syndrome as well. So | | | | diagnosed after the age of 50 now and the |
| what is the connection between these conditions | | | | numbers continue to rise. |
| and age? Where is it I am going with this? Well, | | | | It seems as though the significance of age in |
| studies show that age may play a factor in | | | | patients is rather debatable. Some in the medical |
| Fibromyalgia. | | | | community think it is significant and others do not. |
| So why is this? Well, there is a big thing called | | | | The reason that some people are diagnosed with |
| sleep. Sleep is often disturbed in people with | | | | it later in life could be due to the fact that a lot in |
| Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. There | | | | the medical community don't think of Fibromyalgia |
| are different stages of sleep that we cycle | | | | as a real condition. It could be that the body just |
| through each night. The deepest cycle of sleep is | | | | wears down considerably more as we age and |
| when the body heals itself from the damage and | | | | pain progresses. It may also be the fact that it |
| wear and tear from the day. When sleep is | | | | takes time to rule out all other diseases before |
| disrupted or disturbed, this cycle is often not | | | | coming to a fibromyalgia diagnosis. |
| reached. This, in turn, means the healing is not | | | | Sleep cycles change as we age and so does |
| done and the body's ability to recover from the | | | | disease. There is a definite suggestion that age |
| day's work is thwarted. So, people with | | | | may play a factor in fibromyalgia. It is figuring out |
| Fibromyalgia may experience a mental fog, known | | | | the significance of what this means to |
| as fibro fog, and have fatigue, pain in muscles and | | | | fibromyalgia and treatment in future years that |
| tissues, etc. | | | | matters. One thing from the studies that we are |
| So let's make the age connection. It is common | | | | certain is that as we age our body goes through |
| knowledge that 90% of those diagnosed with | | | | important changes that may provide us some |
| fibromyalgia are women. It is also pretty well | | | | links and answers to this debilitating condition. |