What You Should Know About Fibromyalgia To Combat It

Fibromyalgia is a chronic disease that can reduce the quality of life of patients. Find out what else you need to know to combat it.

Fibromyalgia is a more common disease than people usually think; since sometimes people suffer from it and do not even know it. It is not detected by any x-ray or blood tests. For this reason, it is known as the “invisible disability”.

What do you need to know about it to fight it? Next, we inform you in detail.

What do patients with this disease feel?

According to an article published by the Arthritis Foundation, patients with this disease do not get a good rest. When they fall asleep, their body experiences excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis) and, in general, the discomfort can become more intense.

Therefore, those who suffer from it do not present any visible alteration despite the different symptoms they have, such as chronic pain in different parts of the body. And is that, in addition to fatigue, fibromyalgia includes muscle contractures, herniated discs and rheumatic problems that can lead to immobility. 

Causes of fibromyalgia

The cause of fibromyalgia is unknown, but it is believed to be due to:

• An abnormal function of the central nervous system.
• Genetic predisposition.
• Alteration in the arrival of blood flow to certain brain structures.
• Chronic infections, viral infections, inflammatory processes or muscle diseases.

There is a hypothesis shared by several researchers at the University Hospital of Wuerzburg (Germany) that explains that this disease appears when the intestinal walls become inflamed and permeable. This is common in those who have a thinner intestinal wall than normal; which causes that, in addition to nutrients, waste and toxic substances cross the intestinal wall.

All of this ends up reaching the liver and kidneys, triggering the immune system into action; that considers them enemies and tries to fight against these elements. Which is why it is important to take care of your diet.

Another possible cause of fibromyalgia, as indicated in an article published by the Journal of the Spanish Pain Association , can be found in an imbalance of neurotransmitters.

It is believed that the alterations suffered would produce the different symptoms of this pathology. For example, generalized pain would arise as a consequence of an alteration in the pain modulation pathways. However, more scientific evidence is needed to fully validate this hypothesis.

Fibromyalgia types

Fibromyalgia does not present itself in the same way. There are different types, therefore, the treatment is focused on alleviating the symptoms that each patient presents.

The following is the classification of fibromyalgia types offered by the International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases :

• Type 1. Groups patients without any concomitant disease (accompanying it).
• Type 2.  Groups patients with rheumatic and autoimmune diseases.
• Type 3.  Includes people who present a serious alteration in the psychopathological sphere.
• Type 4. Includes patients called “simulators”.

Night sweats: one of the consequences of fibromyalgia

Although it seems impossible to combat night sweats, it is something doable. How? You just have to try to maintain a balanced diet and, of course, pay special attention to the food that you are going to dinner.

On the other hand, you can take a warm shower before going to bed and apply a small layer of eucalyptus oil to different parts of the body. It will help you maintain the feeling of freshness.

A proper treatment

Next, we present other measures to enjoy a better quality of life, in general terms.

Take care of the diet

As Dr. Kathleen Holton explains, it is essential that you take special care with your diet if you suffer from fibromyalgia. So your best bet is to avoid dairy, sugar, gluten, red meat, potatoes, tomatoes, aubergines, and bell peppers. As for the fruit, it will be better to consume it in compote in order to maintain intestinal health.

It is also recommended to avoid caffeinated drinks : coffee and other drinks such as tea, mate or sugary drinks. On the other hand, foods that contain too much vitamin C (such as citrus fruits) are not recommended either; since, according to the European Society for Sleep Research, they would affect the conciliation of sleep.

Do sports

Sport is an excellent therapeutic alternative for fibromyalgia patients. Experts recommend doing aerobic physical exercise in a progressive and constant manner.

In fact, exercises in swimming pools (be it swimming or some other type of water sport) are recommended because they allow you to acquire greater agility. Also, hydrotherapy is an excellent option.

Go to rehabilitation to combat the problem

If you think that the pain is too intense, you can go to a physical therapist to evaluate a rehabilitation program that allows you to relieve the discomfort. Cheer up! There are different varieties of options.

The professionals who are in charge of working on physical rehabilitation are familiar with fibromyalgia and will know what you need based on your condition. Follow the instructions of the doctors, eat a proper diet, exercise and you will cope better.