If you have a family history of fibromyalgia or are concerned that someone you love may have the condition; you may wish to understand what the symptoms of fibromyalgia are so that you can recognize them when you see them.
There are many common symptoms of fibromyalgia and then there are other symptoms that can occur as well from time to time.
The main thing to remember about the symptoms of fibromyalgia is that the condition is chronic. Even if symptoms come and go or change intensity, the fact that the person has fibromyalgia means that the symptoms will always return and be a part of the person’s life.
The symptom list is long and not everyone with fibromyalgia will experience every symptom on the list. The person with fibromyalgia may feel a symptom one day and not the next. One-day symptoms will be intense in the morning and mild at night.
The elderly fibromyalgia patient is more likely to have fatigue as his main symptom and the young woman who suffers from fibromyalgia will tell you that pain is her main symptom.
The most common symptoms of fibromyalgia are pain, fatigue, stiffness, nausea, dizziness, problems sleeping, urinary or pelvic issues, vision problems, weight gain, chronic headaches or migraines, memory or cognitive impairment, skin problems like rashes, muscle twitches and muscle weakness, anxiety and depression, breathing issues and chest discomfort.
The muscle-joint stiffness that a fibromyalgia sufferer feels in the morning usually lasts between 30 minutes or up to several hours and feels like a tightness in the muscles and joints all over the body.
The dizziness that a fibromyalgia sufferer experiences may occur on a daily basis and can even be severe enough to make it difficult to complete daily activities. They may encounter blurred vision and spinning, and lightheadedness.
The may feel just a little woozy or they may feel like they are about to totally pass out. Dizziness in the fibromyalgia patient can be caused by low blood pressure or from being ill with an infection. In the fibromyalgia patient, dizziness may result from problems with the equilibrium mechanism.
Some of the symptoms experienced by the individual with fibromyalgia are connected to the cognitive realm of things. “Fibrofog” is a term used to describe various cognitive issues that my arise with someone who has fibromyalgia. It refers to memory loss, difficulties with language and also difficulties learning. Individuals may act as if they are in a “cognitive fog”. Episodes of fibrofog can last anywhere from a few weeks to a few months.
A person experiencing fibrofog may exhibit short-term memory loss, difficulty remembering short-term plans, difficulty coming up with language, including the inability to carry on a conversation or to find the right word when describing something. They may have trouble remembering numbers, letters or familiar names. They may have trouble concentrating or trouble retaining new information.