'The Institute of Medicine classifies it as a disease, and I think that's important to emphasize so that people-including doctors-will start taking it more seriously,' she says. The word 'syndrome' is another misnomer, because ME/CFS is not a syndrome. Here, Head and other experts explain everything you need to know about ME/CFS, from symptoms and risk factors to treatment options. MORE: 6 Weird Signs You're Not Getting Enough Iron 'The term 'myalgic encephalomyelitis' has actually been around longer, and it has the advantage of sounding like the serious, real disease that this is.' 'CFS is such a lightweight name,' she says. The 'ME' in ME/CFS stands for myalgic encephalomyelitis-an alternate name Head and other sufferers prefer to chronic fatigue syndrome. 'People who have endured both chemotherapy and ME/CFS say ME/CFS is even more debilitating, so 'fatigue' is not a good word for it,' she says. Part of the problem, Head says, is that non-sufferers hear ' fatigue' and think they understand what a CFS sufferer is going through. 'When you tell people how you feel, they say, 'Well, I'm tired, too,'' says Carol Head, a (mostly) recovered CFS sufferer and president of the Solve ME/CFS Initiative-a charitable organization that funds medical research in pursuit of a cure for chronic fatigue.

This is reality for many of those who suffer from the disease most know as 'chronic fatigue syndrome.' There's often little help or support available to them from the medical community or from friends and family. Finally, imagine telling a doctor how you feel, and having him roll his eyes. Now combine that kind of physical exhaustion with severe stomach pain, aching joints, and brain fog that makes it impossible to read a book or sustain a thought. Imagine feeling too exhausted to get out of bed, let alone go to work or spend time with your family.

Cfs symptoms