what is fibromyalgia: A form of arthritis.

What is Fibromyalgia? Chances are you have not heard of the word let alone the disease. Unless you are in the health sector or you are accustomed to reading health magazines. Fibromyalgia is a form of arthritis. A very painful one I might add. This is a painful and incapacitating form of arthritis disease. And it has been getting increasing attention in the media recently. This is partly due to the fact that statistics show that an estimated 10 million Americans suffer from fibromyalgia disease. Even though these large numbers of Americans suffer from this disease, it is still shrouded in mystery and confusion. This is due to the fact that fibromyalgia is very difficult to track down. In fact, an accurate diagnosis of fibromyalgia arthritis disease in a patient could take years. The reason for this is that symptoms of fibromyalgia arthritis frequently look like those of other types of arthritis. Another reason is that, in the past physicians were not as well educated about the disease as they are today. In addition, there is no one diagnostic test that can conclude whether a person has fibromyalgia. Due to these reasons, fibromyalgia can be a difficult disease to diagnose and treat precisely.

What are the causes of fibromyalgia.

Doctors and researchers are still not sure of the exact cause of fibromyalgia. Health professionals have pinned down a number of likely causes. Some doctors have drawn a link between fibromyalgia and the loss of estrogen that women experience during menopause. Many health professionals agree to this theory because statistics show that the majority of fibromyalgia sufferers are women between the ages of 40 and 55. Research is presently being carried out to ascertain if there are in fact a direct link between the loss of estrogen and the onset of fibromyalgia.

One other possible cause for fibromyalgia may be connected to a deficiency in certain chemicals in the body, namely serotonin. Research has revealed that fibromyalgia sufferers frequently experience low levels of serotonin and are having trouble in getting enough sleep. Serotonin is a chemical that the body produces naturally. Serotonin is responsible for regulating sleep, appetite, sexual desire, and mood.

Depression has also been linked to fibromyalgia. Some researchers think there is a connection between serotonin, depression, and fibromyalgia. Other researchers believe that depression alone can cause changes in the patient's brain chemistry. This consecutively causes the brain to release chemicals that make pain and cause the onset of fibromyalgia.

Other health professionals think that fibromyalgia is caused by injury or illness. Some instances of fibromyalgia have been associated with individuals who suffered some kind of back injury.

Others have been connected to cases of severe influenza, and even Lyme disease. While there is no clear evidence that injury or illness can cause fibromyalgia, many researchers still suspect some kind of indirect link.
Stress may also be a reason for the emergence of this mysterious form of arthritis. Many health professionals believe that stress may be a key contributing factor to the onset of fibromyalgia. Most patients suffering from fribromyalgia arthritis disease do agree that the condition seem to worse during times of stress

The articles on this website should not be used as a basis for any form of diagnosis or treatment for any medical condition. Always seek professional medical advice.

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