Tag: women

Chronic fatigue syndrome: a woman’s dilemma

Abstract:

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is an illness characterized by fatigue with varying levels of disability. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) there are 2 to 5 million people in the United States who suffer from CFS and a disproportionate number are women.

There are many theories of etiology of the condition and controversy has surrounded recommendations for diagnosis and treatment. CFS can mimic other diseases and women are doubly affected since many have comorbid conditions. While diagnoses and treatment are critical to the health of women, having the disease and coping with the symptoms may have a greater impact on their well-being and quality of life.

The authors report qualitative data describing the experience of having CFS (N = 22) and quantitative responses of 42 CFS sufferers reporting psychosocial factors. The psychosocial factors were measured by the Derogatis Stress Profile (DSP), Spielberger Trait-Anger Scale, Ways of Coping Survey, Profile of Moods States (POMS) Survey, and the Perceived Stress Scale. The findings indicate that CFS changes the lives of women who suffer with the disease and disrupts their relationships, careers, and perceptions of themselves.

 

Source: Tuck I, Wallace D. Chronic fatigue syndrome: a woman’s dilemma. Health Care Women Int. 2000 Jul-Aug;21(5):457-66. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11261112

 

Fatigue in chronic fatigue syndrome: a discourse analysis of women’s experiential narratives

Abstract:

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a debilitating condition. Approximately 75% of sufferers are women. The etiology of CFS is debated, but remains inconclusive. “Fatigue” is ill defined and conceptually problematic. The international multidisciplinary literature on CFS reveals a paucity of studies on women. Qualitative research to analyze women’s discourses on CFS is virtually absent.

Eleven New Zealand women of European descent with experience of CFS were interviewed in depth. Within the complex facets of CFS, this article reports specifically on an analysis of discourses on “fatigue.”

The predominant theme that emerged was that fatigue is articulated as “lack” or absence, which is not representable as an identifiable entity in biomedical terms. Parallels with chronic pain are briefly drawn. We conclude that approaches to CFS must respond to the diverse and complex constructions of the experience of fatigue evident in women’s narratives.

 

Source: Hart B, Grace VM. Fatigue in chronic fatigue syndrome: a discourse analysis of women’s experiential narratives. Health Care Women Int. 2000 Apr-May;21(3):187-201. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11111465

 

Feminist perspectives on the social construction of chronic fatigue syndrome

Abstract:

We contrast Western medical views of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) etiology, diagnosis, and treatment with views maintained by a predominantly female CFS population. We argue that the failure of Western medicine to demonstrate a viral etiology for CFS led to a paradigmatic shift in research perspectives, which then embraced psychiatric and sociocultural explanations for CFS. As a result, CFS was delegitimized as a biomedical phenomenon within medical, academic, governmental, and public arenas.

We compare alternative social constructions of CFS with issues pertaining to multiple sclerosis (MS), an illness that similarly predominates among women. Patient perspectives suggest that the history of medical attitudes toward CFS may eventually parallel the transformations that occurred in relation to MS. In particular, the discovery of biological markers for CFS may lay to rest the categorization of CFS as largely within the psychiatric realm.

 

Source: Richman JA, Jason LA, Taylor RR, Jahn SC. Feminist perspectives on the social construction of chronic fatigue syndrome. Health Care Women Int. 2000 Apr-May;21(3):173-85. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11111464

 

Interleukin-1 beta, interleukin-1 receptor antagonist, and soluble interleukin-1 receptor type II secretion in chronic fatigue syndrome

Abstract:

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a condition that affects women in disproportionate numbers, and that is often exacerbated in the premenstrual period and following physical exertion. The signs and symptoms, which include fatigue, myalgia, and low-grade fever, are similar to those experienced by patients infused with cytokines such as interleukin-1.

The present study was carried out to test the hypotheses that (1) cellular secretion of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra), and soluble interleukin-1 receptor type II (IL-1sRII) is abnormal in female CFS patients compared to age- and activity-matched controls; (2) that these abnormalities may be evident only at certain times in the menstrual cycle; and (3) that physical exertion (stepping up and down on a platform for 15 min) may accentuate differences between these groups.

Isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy women, but not CFS patients, exhibited significant menstrual cycle-related differences in IL-1 beta secretion that were related to estradiol and progesterone levels (R2 = 0.65, P < 0.01). IL-1Ra secretion for CFS patients was twofold higher than controls during the follicular phase (P = 0.023), but luteal-phase levels were similar between groups. In both phases of the menstrual cycle, IL-1sRII release was significantly higher for CFS patients compared to controls (P = 0.002). The only changes that might be attributable to exertion occurred in the control subjects during the follicular phase, who exhibited an increase in IL-1 beta secretion 48 hr after the stress (P = 0.020).

These results suggest that an abnormality exists in IL-1 beta secretion in CFS patients that may be related to altered sensitivity to estradiol and progesterone. Furthermore, the increased release of IL-1Ra and sIL-1RII by cells from CFS patients is consistent with the hypothesis that CFS is associated with chronic, low-level activation of the immune system.

 

Source: Cannon JG, Angel JB, Abad LW, Vannier E, Mileno MD, Fagioli L, Wolff SM, Komaroff AL. Interleukin-1 beta, interleukin-1 receptor antagonist, and soluble interleukin-1 receptor type II secretion in chronic fatigue syndrome. J Clin Immunol. 1997 May;17(3):253-61. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9168406

 

Chronic fatigue syndrome and women: can therapy help?

Abstract:

This article presents current research on chronic fatigue syndrome, which currently afflicts mostly females between the ages of 25 and 55. Because depression is a common symptom of chronic fatigue syndrome, mental health practitioners are often involved with the victims and must formulate an appropriate treatment strategy that considers the physiological, intrapsychic, interpersonal, and environmental aspects of the client. This article includes case material focusing on a woman who was medically diagnosed with the Epstein-Barr virus and was in psychotherapy with the author. The difficulty of managing the interplay of the real health problems and the emotional issues presented by the client is highlighted.

Comment in:

“Chronic fatigue syndrome and women: can therapy help?”. [Soc Work. 1992]

“Chronic fatigue syndrome and women: can therapy help?”. [Soc Work. 1992]

“Chronic fatigue syndrome and women: can therapy help?”. [Soc Work. 1992]

Source: Burke SG. Chronic fatigue syndrome and women: can therapy help? Soc Work. 1992 Jan;37(1):35-9.  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1542805