France's national health insurance system has officially added myalgic encephalomyelitis, better known as chronic fatigue syndrome, to its list of chronic diseases. The corresponding changes on the national health insurance system's website were spotted back in August, according to infohub.kz.
Myalgic encephalomyelitis is a chronic condition whose main symptom is severe fatigue that does not go away even after sleep or rest. It is also characterized by sleep disturbances, problems with concentration and memory, and a marked worsening of the condition after physical or mental exertion.
That last symptom is considered one of the key ones. A person may feel significantly worse after exertion that previously caused no problems. Recovery from such a setback can sometimes take days or even weeks.
The exact cause of the condition is still unknown. According to the French health insurance system, in most cases the illness begins after an infection, often a viral one. It can also develop after surgery, exposure to toxic substances or an injury.
There is still no specific test or other study that could confirm "chronic fatigue." The diagnosis is made on the basis of symptoms and after other diseases have been ruled out.
The French health insurance system specifically noted that myalgic encephalomyelitis should not be considered a psychological disorder. At the same time, psychological support may be used to help the patient, for example with anxiety, depression or the consequences of a long illness.
The French guidelines also do not consider programs of gradually increasing physical activity as a way to treat the disease. Any physical activity must be selected on an individual basis.
According to estimates by the French health insurance system, before the COVID-19 pandemic there were about 200,000 adults in France with the disease. There is still no national epidemiological study, however, and the number of patients may have grown since the pandemic. The disease occurs in people of various ages, but more often in women.
Chronic fatigue syndrome has long featured in the health care systems of the United Kingdom, the United States and some European Union countries. Myalgic encephalomyelitis is present in the medical classification used in Kazakhstan. In the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, it corresponds to code G93.3 — "postviral fatigue syndrome (benign myalgic encephalomyelitis)." However, no separate Kazakh clinical protocol for treating the disease could be found.
Today there is in principle no specific treatment that would completely rid a person of chronic fatigue. Earlier, an immunologist told Kursiv Health which everyday habits reduce iron absorption and leave the body without protection.