Fibromyalgia is usually defined as a condition in which you experience widespread pain, instead of localized pain, in the body. But what’s confusing is that a lot of people may experience widespread pain, and they may not necessarily be suffering from Fibromyalgia! The pain that they’re experiencing may have arisen from a nutritional deficiency, an infection, or something else.

So the question remains: how do we recognize if a person experiencing widespread pain has Fibromyalgia or not? How do we identify if the pain he’s experiencing is a product of Fibromyalgia or some other condition? While there are no specific diagnostic measures for Fibromyalgia, there are certain symptoms that you can look out for which may confirm you’re having Fibromyalgia!

The 5 Symptoms Of Fibromyalgia

People in the past didn’t have much knowledge about Fibromyalgia symptoms and so they would take their widespread pain as a normal occurrence which would delay their treatment, resulting in worsening of the condition. Fortunately, with the help of the awareness being provided digitally on medical websites like healthylineoutlet.com people are now able to quickly recognize their symptoms and decide on appropriate treatment at the right time.

Since we’re mainly talking about Fibromyalgia symptoms today, let’s jump right into the 5 important symptoms of this condition so people can book an appointment with their doctor for timely treatment/management.

1. Widespread Pain

Widespread is the most common and defining symptom of having Fibromyalgia. Widespread pain in the body refers to pain that is not localized and is rather spread throughout the entire body. Another important thing to mention here is that people who have Fibromyalgia have widespread pain that is chronic, meaning that the pain will last for a long time rather than appearing and quickly disappearing. This may also help a person differentiate if he has Fibromyalgia or if he’s experiencing pain due to some other cause. Lastly, Fibromyalgia pain is usually not sharp but rather a dull kind of ache that spreads over the entire body especially felt in the upper and lower part of the waist.

2.     Fatigue

Fatigue, or tiredness, is the second most important symptom of Fibromyalgia. People who have fibromyalgia often complain of feeling tired right when they wake up, even though they’ve had a long sleep. They also complain of their sleep getting disrupted due to pain, and of poor sleep quality in general. These people also have difficulty falling asleep, and their sleep issues may get worsened due to other sleep disorders like Sleep Apnea and Restless Legs Syndrome.

3.     Cognitive Issues

Fibromyalgia comes with its share of cognitive difficulties, which are further reinforced due to the sleep issues and pain symptoms of the disease. The most common cognitive difficulties reported by Fibromyalgia patients are that they have a hard time paying attention while performing mental activities, and they lose focus quickly. This also results in anxiety and frustration in the patients. These cognitive difficulties are also referred to as “Fibro Fog” in connection to Fibromyalgia.

4.     Mood Fluctuations

As much as half of the people diagnosed with Fibromyalgia happen to have a mood disorder, like an anxiety disorder or depression, or at least the symptoms of it. And it should come as no surprise because all the pain, fatigue, and mental difficulties that come with Fibromyalgia make the sufferer very vulnerable to mood disorders and they’re more prone to feeling anxious and depressed than other people. These people may feel demotivated, stressed out, and anxious, and would sometimes feel a lack of energy to do chores because of all the pain and fatigue they’re experiencing.

5.     Inflammation/Tingling/Numbness In Extremities

People with Fibromyalgia may experience swelling in their arms and legs, accompanied by numbness and tingling. Although these symptoms may occur any time of the day and usually subside after a short time, they typically occur in the morning. It’s not clear what causes these symptoms but they cause considerable uneasiness to the patient but don’t necessarily disturb his daily life functioning. Along with numbness, tingling and Inflammation, the patient may also experience restlessness in the legs.

Final Word

Although it’s not possible to have a definitive diagnosis of Fibromyalgia via traditional tests, watching out for the above-mentioned symptoms is the best way to identify the disease and decide the appropriate treatment.