What Kind Of Disease Is Fibromyalgia?

Andrea Levy, director of cultural, sports and tourism events in the city of Madrid and chairman of the municipal government, has recently opened up publicly about living with fibromyalgia. Namely, his public speech provoked a lot of criticism among viewers as well as social media users, as the speech was patchy and pulsating. The reason for this was fibromyalgia.

Although fibromyalgia is a real disease that affects many people, it was not recognized as a disease by the World Health Organization until 1992. To date, the disease affects 5.4% of the population, according to the Fibromyalgia Association , and 97.2% of patients are women. 

Let us now consider what the disease fibromyalgia is and what symptoms patients may experience.

What is fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic disease that tends to affect middle-aged women the most. The reason for this is not yet known, but research has shown that the symptoms caused by the disease may explain, for example, the difficulties encountered during Andrea Levy’s public speech, which we mentioned.

According to some studies,  this disease is associated with burnout. It is associated with acute and intense stress, which makes it difficult to perform normal daily tasks. It significantly impairs the quality of life.

Symptoms can be exacerbated by many factors, such as:

• Stress
• Lack of sleep
• Changes in body temperature

The clearest feature of fibromyalgia is constant general pain throughout the body – in the muscles, joints and tendons of the upper and lower limbs. This pain can feel paralyzing and affect night sleep.

General malaise, lack of sleep, fatigue, lack of energy, and other uncomfortable sensations affect quality of life, even if medications are used to treat them. Thus, the symptoms also affect working life. A study published in the journal Clinical Rheumatology  claimed more than 10 years ago that fibromyalgia is the cause of temporary disability in workers.

What symptoms are associated with fibromyalgia?

According to the scientific literature, the main symptom of fibromyalgia is pain. Although various theories have been developed to determine its origin, the source of the disease is still not entirely clear. Autoimmune problems, heredity, and the role of oxidative stress in metabolism have been blamed.

The following types of symptoms are associated with fibromyalgia:

• Stiffness:  especially in the mornings. The patient has difficulty moving the fingers, stretching the legs, and bending the back. Such stiffness can be gradual and fragmented, causing new pains such as tension headaches and sudden changes in peristalsis.

• Temporomandibular joint disorder:  jaw function is impaired along with facial stiffness and muscle contraction and contraction.
• Hypersensitivity and chronic fatigue syndrome:  extreme fatigue prevents the patient from performing daily activities. Even if the patient is resting, he still does not feel recovered.
• Brain fog:  intense mental fatigue that causes chronic pain. The patient also develops impaired concentration and problems with short-term memory.
• Anxiety and Depression:  Typically, all stress accumulates with chronic pain and the patient no longer feels able to perform daily activities. It is also argued that some cases of fibromyalgia are secondary to mood disorders and not the other way around. It is clear that the prognosis may worsen in such situations.

Fibromyalgia is a disease whose symptoms affect quality of life

Based on the above information, fibromyalgia is a disease that affects not only a patient’s quality of life but also social development. It is therefore not inappropriate to attribute it to the many difficulties encountered in working life.

Andrea Levy says she was diagnosed last July and that  coping with an uncomfortable feeling is a challenge in itself.

Treating fibromyalgia is a struggle with many fronts

There is no cure for fibromyalgia and treatments can only relieve the patient’s symptoms. Treatments include opioid-free painkillers, thermal bandage, physiotherapy massages, and exercise.

Stress management and, in some cases, the use of antidepressants are ways to improve nocturnal rest. Fibromyalgia is a struggle with multiple fronts as it requires the treatment of physical discomfort as well as mental stress.

The Spanish Ministry of Health, Consumers and Social Affairs clarifies this as follows:

If you think you may have fibromyalgia, talk to your doctor.