New US Public Transport Ads Focus On Fibromyalgia And Other Invisible Disabilities

International news

Tuesday 27 January 2015

From EmaxHealth:

New metro ads focus on fibromyalgia and other invisible disabilities

By Lana Bandoim G+
2015-01-09 22:28

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority is focusing on people with health problems and disabilities that may not be visible to others. A new group of ads has been created with help from the Accessibility Advisory Committee (AAC) to remind people to leave seats open for others. It is a positive step for the people who use the metro in Washington D.C. and cannot find a seat despite their disability.

The priority seats meant to be used by people with disabilities are often taken by others who refuse to give them up. If a person has an invisible illness such as fibromyalgia, then it is almost impossible to convince others to move. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) has released ads that state: “Not all disabilities are visible. That's why it's important to keep priority seating clear at all times.” These reminders are meant to help people who need the seats and often cannot get them.

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Fibromyalgia Flares: A Qualitative Analysis

International news

Monday 26 January 2015

From ProHealth:

Fibromyalgia Flares: A Qualitative Analysis

By A. Vincent, et al.
www.ProHealth.com
January 16, 2015

Abstract:

OBJECTIVE: Patients with fibromyalgia report periods of symptom exacerbation, colloquially referred to as "flares" and despite clinical observation of flares, no research has purposefully evaluated the presence and characteristics of flares in fibromyalgia. The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe fibromyalgia flares in a sample of patients with fibromyalgia.

METHODS: Using seven open-ended questions, patients were asked to describe how they perceived fibromyalgia flares and triggers and alleviating factors associated with flares. Patients were also asked to describe how a flare differs from their typical fibromyalgia symptoms and how they cope with fibromyalgia flares. Content analysis was used to analyze the text.

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Gut Infection Could Underlie Symptoms In Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

International news

Sunday 25 January 2015

From Health Rising:

Signs of inflammation in the duodenum started the WPI off on their investigation

Gut Infection Could Underlie Symptoms in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

By Cort Johnson on January 13, 2015

“We are cautiously optimistic regarding these results because, if confirmed, we may have identified a contributing factor to the innate immune issues associated with ME/CFS and a molecular target for potential treatment strategies.” – Lombardi et al.

Over the past couple of years the Whittemore-Peterson Institute has been quietly digging into the human gut. They found that the duodenum – the first section of the small intestine – of many people with ME/CFS is inflamed and has become infiltrated with lymphocytes (disease-fighting white blood cells) – a clear sign that the immune system is on the attack.

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells in the duodenum of individuals diagnosed with myalgic encephalomyelitis are uniquely immunoreactive to antibodies to human endogenous retroviral proteins. De Meirleir KL, Khaiboullina SF, Frémont M, Hulstaert J, Rizvanov AA, Palotás A, Lombardi VC. In Vivo. 2013 Mar-Apr;27(2):177-87.

Further investigations indicated that innate immune cells called plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) were present in higher than normal levels. The first part of the immune system on the scene of a pathogen attack, the innate immune system initiates a kind of a broad inflammatory attack against pathogens. It’s the innate immune system that’s behind those flu-like symptoms you experience when you get a cold.

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Plasma Cytokine Expression In Adolescent Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

International news

Saturday 24 January 2015

From ProHealth:

Plasma cytokine expression in adolescent chronic fatigue syndrome

By Vegard Bruun Wyllera et al.
www.ProHealth.com
January 7, 2015

By Vegard Bruun Wyllera et al.

Abstract

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a prevalent and disabling condition among adolescents. The pathophysiology is poorly understood, but low-grade systemic inflammation has been suggested as an important component. This study compared circulating levels of individual cytokines and parameters of cytokine networks in a large set of adolescent CFS patients and healthy controls, and explored associations between cytokines and symptoms in the CFS group.

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"I'd Rather Have Cancer Than Chronic Fatigue Syndrome"

International news

Friday 23 January 2015

From UK newspaper the Daily Mail:

Jenny Andrews, 42, has suffered from chronic fatigue for 10 years - and says it has destroyed her life far more than the bladder cancer she battled

'I'd rather have CANCER than chronic fatigue syndrome': Woman who's battled condition for 10 years says people with it are unfairly labelled 'attention seekers'

By ANNA HODGEKISS FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 23:53 EST, 22 January 2015
UPDATED: 02:36 EST, 23 January 2015

A former cancer patient says she would rather still have the deadly disease than the chronic fatigue syndrome that has plagued the last decade of her life.

Jenny Andrews, 42, says the condition has made her life grind to a halt over the past 10 years - and she fears she may never recover.

Not only has it forced her to quit her job as a scientist and her beloved hobby of belly dancing, but at times has meant she can barely lift her head from the pillow. 

'At my worst, I had dizziness when standing, sheer exhaustion so bad I couldn't even go out - never mind continue my scientific studies,' she told MailOnline. 

'I hated smells, lights, and my brain felt continually foggy and couldn't read anymore or even concentrate on daytime TV.'

Ten years ago, Ms Andrews, from Nottinghamshire, was diagnosed with bladder cancer. 

'But the chronic fatigue syndrome - or CFS as it is known - is so much worse than that,' she said.

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US Neuroscientist Says Exercise Worsens ME/CFS Symptoms

International news

Thursday 22 January 2015

From The Argus Report:

US Neuroscientist Says Exercise is a Noxious Stimulus That Worsens Symptoms of ME/CFS

By Penny Swift

A highly regarded American neuroscientist who has researched CFS for more than a decade, has decried media reports based on The Lancet Psychiatry’s recent scientific article that claims graded exercise therapy (GET) is an effective treatment for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS).

The Lancet Psychiatry report, published earlier this week, is the sixth based on the now dated PACE Trials that have been widely discredited by the international ME/CFS community.

Prof. J. Mark VanNess from the Californian University of the Pacific, referred specifically to The Lancet Psychiatry report’s claim that CFS patients have “fear avoidance beliefs” when it comes to exercise, and that this plays a role in “perpetuating fatigue and disability” in CFS.

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Unexplained Medical Symptoms – A Radio National Panel Discussion

Australian news

Wednesday 21 January 2015

From Australian ABC program Radio National: Health Report:

IMAGE: Not getting an adequate explanation of medical symptoms can be very distressing. (Photo: Getty/ Stock Shop Photography LLC)

Unexplained medical symptoms - a panel discussion

Everyone's got a theory about unexplained medical symptoms, from gluten to Lyme disease.

Monday 19 January 2015
(First broadcast Monday 8 September 2014 5:30PM)

What happens when symptoms can't be explained? The panel looks into complicated issues surrounding unexplained medical symptoms in this special event for the Ultimo Science Festival in Sydney.

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