Symptoms of Fibromyalgia arthritis

How do you know if you have fibromyalgia. What are the symptoms of fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia is a form of arthritis disease that can be difficult to diagnose and treat. The disease is well known for its mistery and the difficulty connected with diagnosis. Now the question is why is fibromyalgia very difficult to diagnose? The difficulty actually arise from the fact that many of it's symptoms look like that of other forms of arthritis. Therefore, diagnosis normally involves eliminating other conditions until fibromyalgia remains a viable diagnosis. This usually takes a long time. Many patients do not receive a diagnosis of fibromyalgia until four or five years after their first visit to the physician.

This plainly show that, fibromyalgia can take quite a physical and emotional toll on patients. Presently, the situation is getting better because health professionals have now better educated about the fibromyalgia arthritis condition, and are more skillful at making an accurate diagnosis. Whereas, before this form of arthritis condition was relatively unknown and difficult to diagnose, it has now well know because of its elusive nature. On suspicion that you may have fibromyalgia, here is a list of the most common symptoms. Having a discussion about your symptoms with your doctor is the first step toward a positive diagnosis and fibromyalgia arthritis treatment.

Symptoms

1) Pain is the primary symptom for most fibromyalgia patients.
2) Different from other forms of arthritis, the pain connected with fibromyalgia arthritis is not centered on a specific joint or muscle. Fibromyalgia patients describe a feeling of widespread pain all over.
3) The pain is described as throbbing, sharp, deep, and widespread.
4) Although the pain is felt throughout the body, many fibromyalgia patients do report 'tender spots' where pain is felt more sharply if the area is pressed.
5) Doctors have narrowed down the number of tender points to 18 specific locations.
6) In order to receive a positive diagnosis, doctor and patient usually must identify at least 11 tender spots.
7) In some cases, the patient may have less than 11 identifiable tender spots and still be diagnosed with fibromyalgia.
8) Along with the feeling of widespread pain, the other major symptom of fibromyalgia is fatigue. Patients describe it as crippling, overwhelming sense of fatigue. Even patients who receive eight or more hours of sleep at night, they may still experience severe fatigue throughout the day.

There are other symptoms that may be present.
a) Along with pain and fatigue, the typical fibromyalgia patient may also experience stiffness in the joints, especially in the morning.
b) Most fibromyalgia suffers report difficulty getting enough sleep. Researchers have found that most fibromyalgia patients have low serotonin levels, which may explain their ability to sleep. Low serotonin levels may also be related to the depression and anxiety experienced by many fibromyalgia patients.
c) Most fibromyalgia sufferers also report experiencing frequent headaches and migraines.
d) Other symptoms of fibromyalgia may include tingling in the hands, legs, arms, and feet, and swelling of the extremities.
e) Some fibromyalgia sufferers also report symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.

Regrettably, the difficulty of diagnosis can be made more difficult by the fact that fibromyalgia arthritis frequently appears in combination with other forms of arthritis. There are over 100 forms of arthritis, and any one of these can appear with symptoms of fibromyalgia. The most common form of arthritis doctors report seeing patients suffer from with fibromyalgia is rheumatoid arthritis.

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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